


Reign

by shiningdragonair



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood, Blood and Gore, Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Loyalty, M/M, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Relationship(s), Romance, Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Triggers, Work In Progress, didn't think to tag the types of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-12 04:58:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1182193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiningdragonair/pseuds/shiningdragonair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the responsibility of the Shiganshina kingdom falls to now-fifteen-year-old Prince Eren, the emergence of the violent gang "The Wings of Freedom" threaten the supposed peace throughout the country.</p><p>*not completed, just not working on it anymore*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fifteenth Year

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this AU came to me during a brainstorming session for some other projects. I figured having Eren in a position of power would make for an interesting dynamic. 
> 
> I'm not sure how long this is going to be - there's a LOT to this one XD It'll be continuously edited and updated.
> 
> Rating updated to E on 3/18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, death, and anxiety/panic
> 
> slight wording update on 2/16

“NO!”

 

Eren sat up in bed, panting and drenched in sweat. He felt beads of perspiration race down his back, tracing the outline of his spine. His pulse was hammering. He felt his heart beating in his ears and thought his neck would explode. He threw off the one thousand thread count sheets and moved to the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands. His hair was dripping sweat and quickly soaked his fingers. He felt his chest tightening. He moved to the window.

 

Flinging open the curtains, Eren threw the windows as a rush of crisp, March air smacked him in the face. He took a deep breath and let the traces of ice sink within his lungs and melt away his panic. He let out the sigh as he looked out at the mountains that separated his country from northern wildlands. He smiled as he listened to the quiet of the morning and allowed the tranquility to penetrate him. It took a few years, but he managed to learn how to regain his grip on reality.

 

“I’m okay…Just a dream.”

 

He felt his pulse calm and tightness dissipate. “That could’ve gotten bad,” he remarked to himself as he walked over to his oak bureau. Looking in the mirror, he saw color returning to his face as his skin returned to its naturally olive state. His green eyes, youthful and electric, regained their twinkle. The boy surveyed his exposed torso, slightly defined and pristinely smooth. Goosebumps started to form as the chilly breeze wafted through the still-open window.  He opened the middle drawer and pulled out a small notebook. He flipped to the next blank page, about halfway through the book, and wrote:

 

_March 30: 8am “Nightmare. Woke to attack. Was able to stop it quickly. 30 seconds.”_

 

He put the book safely back into the drawer and shut it. He pulled his silk robe off of the chair and wrapped it around himself. It was emerald with a black trim and bore the crest of the Jaeger family: a golden shield with two silver broadswords crossed, with the phrase, “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer_ ” emblazoned in the center. Eren ran his finger over the crest, which rested on his heart. He felt his heartbeat start to quicken and pound against his ribcage again. It was his fifteenth birthday, which meant his political career started today. He had to be the face of a new kingship. A face of hope, promise, and inspiration to the Shiganshinian people. He had to live up to the house motto.

 

He leaned out the window and watched as the palace grounds came alive. Gardeners tended to the hardened soil, attempting to bring about new life in time for the Spring Saengerfest next month. He saw his father, King Grisha, meander through the lawns with General Pixis as they wistfully chatted about what seemed to be nothing serious since his father was laughing. On the opposite side of the garden, facing the rest of the capital, he saw a blond haired boy racing toward the palace.

 

“Armin!” Eren bellowed from his third-story window.

 

“Hey, Eren! Happy birthday!”

 

Eren grinned from ear to ear. “What’re you doing here?!”

 

“Your dad said I could join you today!”

 

“Awesome!”

 

Mikasa burst through Eren’s door. She was in a tank top and shorts. The morning light pouring through the open window accentuated her muscular frame. Her hair covered her face as she growled, “It’s 8 in the morning. If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’ll throw you out that goddamn window.”

 

“Heh. Is big, strong Mikasa not an early bird?” Eren taunted.

 

She thrust herself forward and Eren flinched.

 

“Yeah, thought so,” she muttered, slamming the door behind her. Eren turned back to the window and beckoned Armin to come inside. He shut the window, drew the curtains, and ran downstairs. He quickly skimmed down the marble staircases to the first floor, passing countless works of art. He blazed past his maid, Hannah.

 

“Happy birthday, your highness!” She chimed as he passed.

 

“Thanks, Hannah!” he called back up, already halfway down the next flight of stairs. Jumping down the last set of steps, his hand slid along the gilded banisters as his bare feet stung on the cold marble. As he approached the dining room for breakfast, he heard his father’s voice echo through the hall. He stopped to listen.

 

“Pixis,” Grisha sternly remarked, “we have no need to expand our territory. Shiganshina is regaining prosperity and is at peace right now. To start a new conquest would be costly and irresponsible. Not to mention the political nightmare it’d be. I have to start teaching Eren how to be a political man starting today. The last thing I need is to have him say something stupid – “

 

“I’ll keep my mouth shut if you want to go to war again.”

 

“Eren!” Grisha threw on a smile and opened his arms. “Happy birthday, son.”

 

He stood up and walked to Eren standing in the doorway and embraced him. Eren returned the hug half-heartedly. The hug was unfamiliar. His father never really had an affinity for affection. Eren’s arms slowly wrapped all the way around his father’s waist. He was a thin man whose long hair accentuated his slender face. Round glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. Eren awkwardly rested his head on the man’s chest and they were silent for a moment.

 

“Is that Eren?” Carla asked, walking in from the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, mom.”

 

“Happy birthday, honey!”

 

She walked over and joined the two in an embrace.

 

“I’m sure the General is fully enjoying this sight, guys,” Eren muttered, pulling away from the two. The Queen, took him by the hand and led him to the table. She had brought out a feast for breakfast. Eggs prepared three ways, scrambled, fried, and sunny-side-up, a platter of bacon, ham, and sausages bursting out of their casings, a bowl of potatoes seasoned with fresh herbs and spices, and hot rolls fresh from the oven.

 

“How did we afford to get this much food?”

 

“What’re you talking about?” Grisha spat. “We’re the royal family.”

 

“Yeah, but isn’t there a financial deficit right now? Food like this is expensive.”

 

“Ho-ho!” Pixis chimed in. “The boy is already dabbling in the kingdom’s finances!”

 

General Dot Pixis was a man of about sixty years. The wrinkles in his face were deepened with his crooked smile. His typical demeanor was an eerie calm, silently surveying everything around him, almost as if he was consistently looking for an opening to attack. Eren looked away as Pixis’s condescension hasn’t changed and it’s gotten old. “You know, General,” Eren said gritting his teeth, “I’m not five anymore.” Eren felt anger bubbling up within him as he stabbed a slice of ham. “I know what I’m talking about. Me and Armin – “

 

“Armin and I,” Carla interrupted.

 

Eren sighed impatiently. “ _Armin and I_ went through town and – “

 

“You went through town?” Grisha snapped. “Unsupervised?”

 

“Mikasa was with us.”

 

“I don’t care, Eren,” Carla added. “The three of you shouldn’t be wandering around the capital without military supervision. There’s so much – “

 

“Carla,” Grisha whispered. “Eren, why did you go into the city?”

 

“I wanted to get out of the palace.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because.”

 

“Because why?”

 

“Just because! Do I really need a reason?”

 

“Yes, Eren!” Carla seethed. “You have no business being out there! What if you were attacked? What if you were kidnapped? You remember what happened to your great-grandfather. A gang kidnapped him and bled the family for so much money that they brought about the worst depression in our country’s history. Do you really want to be the undoing of our progress?”

 

“Christ, mom. I got back safe and that’s what’s important. And it was during the day, too,” he explained, downing a spoonful of scrambled egg. He looked at the two of them and knew he messed up. _I just had to say that_. His spoon dropped and hit the floor with a loud, echoing clatter that seemed to roar throughout the spacious room.

 

“Shit!”

 

“Eren! Lanuage!”

 

Eren groaned as he slid his chair out and stood up. “I’m out of here.”

 

“Where are you going?” Carla called.

 

“With Armin. Don’t worry,” Eren shot, “we won’t go into the city.” Sarcasm dripped off of his words as he brisked out of the dining room to the main foyer to meet up with his friend.

 

“Be in the courtyard by noon!”

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

Eren’s robe trailed behind him as he whisked out of the room. He knew he was being a little immature, but he’d had enough of that crap for the day. It wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet. He quickened his pace to a jog and met up with Armin in the foyer. The blond boy was wearing a white dress shirt that was two sizes too big and cotton pants that were about an inch too short held up by worn, sickly green suspenders. His hair hit at his chin and was windblown.

 

“You look like a mess, Armin,” Eren joked, running his fingers through the blond locks, straightening it out. “Did you eat?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, timidly.

 

“Are you sure? My parents went all out this morning. I don’t know with what money, but still. I’ll fix you a plate.”

 

“No, no,” Armin whispered, taking Eren by the arm.

 

“Okay, then. What’s wrong?”

 

“I don’t want my voice to echo in here.”

 

“You’re weird. Come on, let’s go to my room.”

 

***

 

In the dining room, Grisha and Carla sat opposite each other, only the sound of their clinking utensils underscoring their tension. General Pixis had left shortly after Eren’s departure.

 

“Can you pass the potatoes,” Carla asked, curtly.

 

He obliged and continued eating in silence.

 

“Grisha,” Carla continued, “do you think he’ll be okay?”

 

“I was like him when I was young.”

 

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

 

The king looked up at his wife.

 

“As long as he stays true to himself, he’ll be a fine king one day.”

 

“You sound like a damn fortune teller.”

 

***

 

“So what’s going on with you?” Eren prodded as he pulled towels out of his wardrobe. He could tell that he was bothered by something. They’ve known each other for years and they could read each other extremely well. Armin’s parents had served on Shiganshina City’s council and they’d been in contact with the royal family for years before they died. Since then, he lived with his grandparents in the outer city, mere blocks away from the palace. Quiet and reserved, Armin Arlert was ever observant and significantly sharper and wiser than he let on.

 

“Have you heard of the Wings of Freedom?”

 

Eren crinkled his nose. “Aren’t they a myth?”

 

“That’s what people say. The textbooks say that they were an anarchy group dedicated to the liberation of people from oppressive, tyrannical, or ineffective regimes.”

 

“We’re not an oppressive regime. Or ineffective. We do good.”

 

“Are you sure?” Mikasa interrupted. She walked into the room with a plate of food and a half-eaten roll in her hand.

 

“What are you talking about, Mikasa?”

 

“I’ve been through the city more than you have. For training. There’s a lot of shit going on.”

 

“Like what?” Eren interjected.

 

“Homelessness, drug trade, sex trafficking – “

“Violence, larceny,” Armin interrupted.

 

“Every major city has problems, guys. The kingdom as a whole is not a bad place to live.”

 

“Not for the royalty or nobility,” Mikasa corrected. “Try living in the working class. Or worse – try being homeless. Besides, have you ever been out in the country?”

 

“Well, no, but – “

 

“But nothing. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Eren. You know your life here, but outside the walls of this palace, you don’t know much. Dad’ll teach you and take you out now that you’re fifteen, but it’s not going to be pleasant.”

 

“Whatever,” Eren said, shrugging her off. “Anyway, what of this Wings of Freedom shit?”

 

“They’re rebuilding their ranks,” Armin explained.

 

“How d’you know?” Mikasa asked through a mouthful of bacon.

 

“Just listening. I was walking here and heard a group saying ‘For the Hope of Humanity’ before doing this weird salute with their right fists. One of my school friends said that his cousin was joining. His family’s really poor and they haven’t been able to find work because the government isn’t doing anything to create jobs for people. They claim that instead the monarchy is using the nation’s wealth on itself.

 

Then there’s the sign. I keep seeing graffiti of two crossed wings all over the city. It’s worse in the inner city. They have hands in all types of crime apparently. And they say that if they keep growing, they can infiltrate the government.”

 

Eren and Mikasa stared at Armin in stunned silence.

 

“Well, you’re definitely going to be an advisor of mine when I’m king, Armin. With a brain like yours, there nothing that we can’t do.”

 

Armin turned a light pink. “W-well, I try my best,” he stuttered through a weak smile.

 

“What caused them to disappear in the first place?” Mikasa questioned.

 

“Apparently, there was dissention among their ranks and the group pretty much imploded and disintegrated. No one knows why or how,” Armin explained. “But rumor has it that they once brought an entire kingdom to its knees almost one hundred years ago. Around the – “

 

“ – the same time that the Jaeger family assumed power,” Eren finished.

 

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, mulling over the brief history and mythology lesson. Armin was deep in thought, attempting to separate the myth from the history.

 

Mikasa broke the silence. “Okay, you two,” she said, gulping down the last of her breakfast. “I have to meet up with the trainees. I’ll see you later. And, by the way,” she paused and pulled Eren to his feet, “happy birthday, Eren.” She threw her arms around him and pulled him in close. “I love you and I’m so glad I can call you my brother.” She pulled away and let a smile break through her stern exterior. Eren looked down. “Uh, thanks, Mikasa. Good luck today.” She tousled Armin’s hair and left, shutting the door behind her.

 

“She still scares the crap out of me,” Eren croaked.

 

“Why?”

 

“Fifteen years old and training new police recruits? Is there any reason not to be?”

 

“She _is_ your sister.”

 

Eren softened and let a hint of a smile break through. He really was lucky to have a sister like Mikasa. Someone who’d always be by his side no matter what.

 

***

 

Eren sunk into the warm bath water, his only respite from the chill that’s been hanging over the palace. He left Armin in the library to do as he pleased. He knew that Armin could spend hours in there and Eren just needed to be with himself for a little while. It was nothing against him, but if he was going to be spending an extended time with his father for political coaching, he was going to need all the psychological preparation possible.

 

He wasn’t sure what to make of Mikasa’s comment about the Jaeger regime earlier.

 

_Is the country really not as well off as I thought? Is the capital really that crime-ridden?_

 

These questions just spawned more and more until they became overwhelming. Eren submerged his entire body under the water until he heard nothing except his heartbeat vibrating throughout the tub and against the white porcelain. The stress of this day was already building up and the worst hadn’t come yet.

 

The last time that Eren spent an extended period of time with his father, it was during a war meeting when he was twelve. He was sitting in, much to the chagrin of his mother. When his father suggested a plan that would slaughter half of the Shiganshinian troops, he saw a contorted, wicked grin flash across his face. Disgusted, he looked away and remained distant for the rest of the meeting. When it was over, he bolted out of the door and went straight to his bathtub.

 

Three years later, he was still using the bath for respite purposes, before the break was even needed. The warm water calmed his nerves and cleared his head.

 

_All I have to do is put on a smile. That’s what politics is all about. Making the right people like you. At least, that’s what Armin told me._

 

He knew that he would be out in public a lot during the coming months giving speeches, interviewing with reporters, and visiting the less fortunate.

 

_I can make it through the public crap. I can make myself look good._

 

It was getting past the father issues. Eren knew that his father favored Mikasa. She wasn’t even a blood relative, but her skills, determination, and innate leadership qualities quickly put her front and center. She’d never assume the throne and she knew it; but, at fifteen with a promising police and, eventually, military career ahead of her, she can easily be the youngest General that Shiganshina has ever seen. But what of his son? The crown prince of Shinganshina? The war meeting was the first and last time that Grisha had ever taken an interest in preparing Eren for the throne. Now, they’re required by law to spend time together.

 

_At least I’ll have Armin to fall back on. Just in case._

 

He sighed and got out of the bath. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he whispered to himself, “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer_. For the preservation of Shiganshina.” He ran his hands through his wet hair and walked back into his bedroom.

 

***

 

Eren meandered through the halls on the first floor of the palace, slowly making his way to the courtyard. _I’m not spending more time with him than I have to._ He put his hands in the pocket of his brown wool pants. The soles of his shoes squeaked against the marble with each step. He rolled up the sleeves of his white cotton shirt, exposing his olive forearms. His hands and arms were relatively thin compared to the muscular Mikasa. _I should start working out._ He rounded the corner into the grand ballroom. The curtains were drawn, but the sunlight that managed to peek through bounced off of the golden trim and danced across the ceiling. Crystals in the chandelier refracted the light into every color. He felt so small in this space. In the corner of the room, a black, concert grand piano sat, unplayed since the autumn. General Pixis drunkenly plucked out old German folk songs, mostly about sexual conquest. He lifted the covering off of the keys and struck middle C. It rang through the room and echoed for a few seconds before fading. _I should learn more piano,_ he thought as he walked through the doors to the courtyard.

 

Armin and Grisha were already in deep conversation.

 

“Don’t you think that you should at least _try_ education reform?”

 

“For the last time, Armin. There’s no way I’m doing that. It’s superfluous.”

“Your Majesty, if good quality education is available to all people and you make it necessary, you’ll prevent a lot of crime and have people who aren’t as, well, stupid.”

 

“You make a good point, Mr. Arlert. But we don’t have the funds to – “

 

Eren cleared his throat.

 

“Hi, Eren!” Armin chimed. “Did you have a good bath?”

 

“Yeah. What’re we talking about?”

 

“Nothing,” his father remarked, curtly. “Shall we get started then?” Eren nodded. “Now, son. What can you tell me about politics?”

 

“Well, it’s pretty much getting the right people to like you, right?”

 

Grisha chortled. “In essence, I suppose you can say that!” He returned to his stoic demeanor. “Politics is, at its core, a game. It’s a game you play with yourself and with everyone around you.”

 

“Why do we have to be political? We’re royalty. It’s not like someone can contest us.”

 

“Eren, what good is a kingdom without a loyal population?”

 

“You’re father’s right, Eren,” Armin interjected. “If you don’t make nice with the population, especially the nobility, your rule will be virtually pointless.”

 

Eren groaned and slumped onto a wooden bench.

 

“Get up, you’ll ruin you posture,” Grisha snapped. “Do you want to have to balance a textbook on your head again?”

 

“No,” Eren muttered.

 

“Then let’s walk.”

 

The trio slowly made their way around the expanse of the courtyard before venturing out into the fields behind the palace. Eren drifted in and out of daydreams between his father’s explanations of politically correct vocabulary and methods of speaking to reporters. He looked over at Armin who was listening intently to the King as he spoke, his words laced with wisdom of a twenty-five-year rule. Eren rolled his eyes and tuned out his father’s voice again.

 

The breeze blew the scent of the blossoming cherry trees lining the outer garden as petals from early bloomers twirled through the air. The scent brought Eren back to his eight-year-old days when he and his mother would play hide-and-seek. He hid in the old weeping willow, which hung at the furthest point from the palace. When Carla would find him, she smelled just like the cherry tree. He remembered how she would pick the flowers off of the boughs and put them in Mikasa’s hair. Everything was better when they were young and ignorant.

 

“You got that, Eren?”

 

He snapped out of his reverie.

 

“Huh-what?”

 

Armin swooped in, “Never play you’re whole hand at once. Always keep something to yourself so no one knows your endgame until the last possible moment.”

 

Those words would ring out in Eren’s mind for years to come, especially when he wasn’t the only one playing by that rule.

 

***

 

As 3 o’clock came, Grisha dismissed the boys back to the house. They bolted before the King could get another word in. He called out, “I’ll see you at dinner!” to which Eren didn’t reply.

 

“You guys really don’t spend much time together,” Armin commented.

 

“What’s the point? He’s just going to ramble on and on about what I’m supposed to do as king and how I have uphold the family legacy and live up to the motto blah blah blah,” whined Eren.

 

“He’s still your dad. You should spend as much time with him as you can…” Armin trailed off.

 

Eren often forgot that Armin lost both of his parents. He put his arm around his friend’s shoulder and pulled him in for a hug.

 

“You’re my family, too, Armin.” He saw a weak smile form. “I’ll try to talk with dad at dinner.”

 

***

 

Eren blew out the candles as darkness cloaked his bedroom. He opened the curtains, leaned against the wall, and gazed out into the distance. The moonlight spilled into the room and danced in Eren’s electric green eyes. He thought back to his panic attack this morning and felt an echo of that tightness in his chest. It hadn’t been the best birthday. He remembered Armin’s intelligence on the Wings of Freedom.

 

_My only birthday gift was something else to worry about._

 

Dinner was a total bust on the “bonding with Dad” front. Every time Eren opened his mouth to say something, he chickened out. Their lack of a relationship throughout his early years made talking with the man a harrowing task for Eren.

 

_What’m I supposed to do? Give myself a fucking panic attack over him?_

He felt his palms start to sweat and his pulse quicken. Cracking the window, he took a deep breath of cool air and felt his nerves tingle. Goosebumps ran up his arm and bare chest. _I’m okay,_ he thought. He moved to his bureau and pulled out his leather notebook and read over his entry from that morning. “Breathe, Jaeger,” he said to himself. “You’ll be fine.”

 

He closed the window, climbed into bed, and quickly fell asleep.

 

***

 

Eren’s eyes shot open.

 

Something wasn’t right. He jumped out of bed and threw on his robe. He slid over to the window and peered out over the sill. In the darkness surrounding the palace he saw shadows scurry across the lawn. He broke into a cold sweat and his heart started pounding. _Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit,_ he thought. _How the fuck did they get in?_ This was worst-case scenario. It takes extreme stealth and skill to get past the guards surrounding the palace. _Mikasa._ He moved out of his room and crept down the hall. His breathing was shallow and quivering. With no windows, the corridor was pitch black. He felt his chest tightening in dread as he moved forward.

 

He felt something warm and wet beneath his foot. His heart dropped in fear. He leaned over and squinted in the darkness. “Oh, god,” he shuddered. “Hannah.” He ran his hand down her lifeless face and felt a gash carved down the side of her face. He turned her over and felt the blood rush out of her abdomen. The face was overkill. _They’re looking for me._ He needed to find Mikasa and fast. As he stood up, he heard voices coming from the direction of his bedroom.

 

“Where’s the kid? This is his room, right?” whispered a squeaky female voice.

 

“S’posed to be,” answered a gruff male one. “Maybe the captain’s got’m already.”

 

“Maybe. Why would the captain get him?”

 

“Dammit, Petra, I don’t know. Let’s just get outta here before we’re caught.”

 

Eren sat against the wall, frozen. He heard them scurry down the stairs and meet up with their comrades. He tried to make out the whispering, but it was inaudible over the roar of his heartbeat. His breath was still shallow and his chest got even tighter. He felt the familiar loss of control and his thoughts started to run wild. He threw his head into his hands and tried to breathe. He couldn’t.

 

_Fuck._

He tried to stifle a wheeze.

_Fuck._

Hannah’s blood started to drip down his arm.

_Fuck._

 

Suddenly, one thought rushed into his mind. As quickly as the panic came, it vanished as Eren walked down the hall toward his parents’ room. He knew he was moving, but he was numb. Their palace had been infiltrated. They were looking for him. They didn’t mention a thing about his parents, which meant either they’re unharmed or they cleared at least one objective. A light spilled out of the room as Eren opened the door and he was face to face with Mikasa. Her eyes were watering.

 

“I tried. I tried to get them away.” She gasped and clutched her bleeding side. “I overpowered this one, but his partner ran and I chased him and when I came back…”

 

Eren pushed past her and looked at the bed. Nothing would prepare him for this. His parents lay there, throats slashed, in a pool of their own blood. He walked over to them, trembling, as tears began to pour down his face.

 

“I’m so sorry, Eren,” Mikasa choked.

 

He was silent as he fell to his knees as a sob escaped his throat. On the floor, he saw a crumpled piece of parchment with short, precise handwriting.

 

“What is that?” Mikasa asked, guard immediately back up.

 

Eren unraveled the paper and felt his stomach churn.

 

_Happy Birthday, Your Majesty._

_Love Always,_

_The Wings of Freedom_

He lurched forward and threw up.


	2. The Wings of Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Levi, captain of the Wings of Freedom Special Operations Squad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi POV chapter ~ This one turned unexpectedly dark really quickly during writing .__. 
> 
> TW: blood and gore, drug use, torture, self harm, suggested rape and sexual abuse

Levi stood motionless against the northern façade of the palace. _Where the fuck are they?_ He heard muffled sobbing and the sound of someone retching. He was under the royal couple’s bedroom. _Someone found them._ He threw his hood up and dug his boots into the dirt. The mission went off without a hitch so far. He just needed the rest of them to get the hell out of there. He pulled out his knife and wiped the rest of the blood off of it. He kept it drawn. Looking up at the sky, he was able to trace the constellations. _It’s a shame. Tonight was a nice one._ His team rounded the corner.

 

“Finally,” Levi hissed to his team. “What’s it gonna take to make you move your asses? We’re the Special Ops Squad for a reason.” The team of six stole through the perimeter of the palace grounds before disappearing into the backwoods. Eld Jinn, Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Gunther Schultz, and their captain, Levi silently scaled the trees and perched themselves on the branches. Mike Zacharias fell back and stationed himself deeper into the woods. The short man kept his eyes trained on the building in the distance, deep in thought.

 

“Yo, what is it Levi?” Oluo called.

 

Levi shot him a look that silenced him. He turned his gaze back to the palace. “This is where it starts. Erwin’s gonna be happy.” _Thank god,_ he thought. The idea of going back with a failure was unimaginable. Erwin’s form of discipline wasn’t the most favorable. Levi learned this quickly as he brought his corps to the top in terms of success rate and efficiency.

 

“He better be happy,” Eld said, flatly. “The king, queen, and prince are dead. All we have to do is – ”

 

“The Prince is alive,” Mike commented. He moved back up to join the rest of the team. “The Commander said to leave him.”

 

“But why leave him?” Petra choked.

 

“Yeah,” Oluo agreed. “Wouldn’t be easier to take them all out?”

 

“No,” Levi said. “It’s more complicated than that.”

 

“Care to explain?” Gunther urged.

 

Levi shook his head. “Later. Hush.” He saw the military reserve surround the building, followed by the police. _One, two, three,…._

“Shouldn’t we go?” Eld said.

 

“Yeah,” Petra added, “won’t we get caught here?”

 

Mike took a deep breath. “It’s clear right now.” His sense of smell was a gift that the Squad was thankful for countless times. During their first raid for intel on the palace operations, he was able to sniff out the government SWAT just in time for them to make their escape. Had they not been a success there, tonight wouldn’t have been anywhere near possible.

 

_Seven…eight…nine…ten._

 

The palace’s emergency bell rang out in the night. “Let’s go,” Levi said, leaping down from his bough. The team landed on the hard ground and continued their escape. With all of the police and military in the palace, escaping the grounds should be simple. “Petra, Oluo, Mike, take the west. Gunther, Eld, and I’ll take the east. Meet back at the base. Use the call if you get caught.”

 

The three vanished into the woods. Levi, Eld, and Gunther, caromed off their trees and stole away to the east wing of the grounds. The cold midnight air was sharp against Levi’s face. His hood fell back and his hair blew in the breeze, exposing the shaven temples of his undercut. Sweat made his clothes cling to his body. The adrenaline from his kill was still coursing through his veins. He looked at his bloodstained hand and wondered what was happening in that home. _Do I feel bad about this?_ It had been a long time since Levi had felt genuine emotion and now wasn’t the time for anything to bubble up. He found his blade and quickly sliced a shallow cut into his thumb, just enough to draw blood. The sharp, fresh pain brought Levi back to his perpetual state of emotionless bliss.

 

“Wait,” Eld hissed. In the silence, they heard a cooing pattern from across the forest, echoed by the few pigeons nesting in the trees above. Levi, Eld, and Gunther shifted their weight and bolted back towards the other half of their squad.

 

***

 

“Well, what do we have here?”

 

Petra, Mike, and Oluo kept their heads forward and mouths shut. An old hunting trap had snared Mike and, while Petra and Oluo attempted to free him, four military reserve grunts ambushed and tied them to the trunk of a tree. It was sheer luck. “Didja want to join us in a drink?” one taunted. “Ooh,” he said, “you’re a pretty one.”

 

“Calm down, Hans,” another said.

 

“No way,” Hans protested, running his hand through Petra’s hair. “I think I’m gonna have m’way with this’un.” He got within an inch of her face. His breath reeked of alcohol and she tried to recoil. “What is it, baby? You scared?” He groped her thigh. Petra took a sharp breath and slammed her head into Hans’s nose.

 

“Son of a - ! You little bitch!” He cursed, blood dripping between his fingers.

 

“That wasn’t cool, little girl,” a third grunt said.

 

“Yeah,” Hans goaded. “Teach her a lesson, Franz.”

 

Franz let out a scoff. “Maybe I will,” he said, cupping Petra’s chin, planting a kiss on her pursed lips.

 

“For fuck’s sake,” Oluo snarled. “Leave her alone.” He yanked at the bindings, pissed that they were so easily subdued.

 

“Aw,” Hans said. “Does the boyfriend not want us t’play with his girlfriend?”

 

“Whaddabout you, beardo? You seem important,” the first grunt moved to Mike. He pulled out a blade and ran it across his chest. Mike stifled a scream. Blood trickled out from beneath his black hoodie and ran down against his torso. “Nice, Kris.” Kris’s mouth curled into a devious smile.

 

“Mike!” Petra gasped, writhing against her bindings, attempting to throw Franz off of her. He started to grope her breasts and ran his tongue up her neck. She tried her best to keep her composure and struggled to find a way to free herself. He was just out of the reach of her knee. He knew what he was doing.

 

“Hey, Will, you want some of this one?” Franz said, turning around to their fourth member. “Will?”

 

A breeze blew across the woods, rustling the leaves. Out of the darkness, Levi’s knife found its way into Franz’s carotid and he collapsed onto the ground in a heap, clutching his gushing neck.

 

“What the – Franz!” Kris called out just before Levi knocked him to the ground and snapped his neck. Eld drove his knife into Hans’s abdomen and thrust it upward, eviscerating the man. Gunther quickly severed the ropes binding their comrades.

 

“Nice shot, Eld,” commented Oluo.

 

“Thanks,” he replied, cleaning his blade. “What happened?”

 

“There was an old hunting trap just laying here,” Mike explained. “I got caught in it and as they tried to get me out, those four jumped us.”

 

“How many times have I told you people to watch your surroundings,” Levi scolded. “You three could be dead. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

 

Oluo turned to Petra and quickly embraced her. “You okay?” She nodded. “Yeah.”

 

The six stole out of the woods uninterrupted as chaos descended upon the Jaeger palace.

 

***

 

“So, now that we’re off-a those grounds,” Gunther started, “tell us _why_ we left the kid?”

 

The six sat in the corner of Trost Tavern. It was after one o’clock and the place was empty. Mike, Gunther, Oluo, Petra, and Eld drank pints of ale while Levi sipped on tea. He looked over at Mike’s chest, blood seeping through the bandages. As he drank, he felt the warmth travel down his throat and radiate through his body. The condensation from the steam shone on his face in the dim candlelight of the tavern. He rubbed the scab on his thumb.

 

“How’s your chest, Mike?”

 

“Fine, the binding is worse than the cut.”

 

“Levi,” Gunther interrupted, “ _why did we leave the boy?_ ”

 

Levi took another sip of his tea.

 

“We left him because – “

 

The door in the back of the room opened and a strong-jawed, blond man entered the main room of the tavern. Levi smirked as the other five stayed silent as Erwin Smith, the Commander of the Wings of Freedom, approached. He had an unusually calm demeanor and a stoic expression. He wore dress pants, a white shirt, and black suspenders. His footsteps echoed throughout the empty space as he slowly approached the table. He stopped next to Levi and put his hand on his shoulder. Levi flinched.

 

“You kept the boy alive for political reasons.”

 

Everyone was silent.

 

“Can anyone guess why?” Erwin inquired, peering at each of them. They looked down at their drinks, avoiding the Commander’s gaze. Oluo took a swig of his beer and spoke first.

 

“W-well, if he’s alive he’ll be crowned king, wouldn’t he?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why would we want that?” Gunther interjected.

 

“Because,” Erwin explained, “what better way to shame the current regime than by showing that their king is completely incompetent? He has no clue what he’s doing. He’ll start to drive the kingdom straight into the ground and that’s when we go public.”

 

The table nodded in understanding as Levi continued sipping his tea. He set his cup down and noted, “He has close advisors, Erwin. Be careful not to underestimate him.” Erwin shot a look at Levi.

 

“All of you, go home. I need to speak with your captain.”

 

The five obliged and quickly left, happy to not have to be in the same room as the Commander. Erwin sat next to Levi, who shifted down a space. He placed his hand on Levi’s thigh and gave it a squeeze. Levi felt his pulse quicken as he swallowed hard. Erwin’s hand climbed Levi’s leg, creeping between his thighs and finding his bulge. Erwin’s familiar, calloused hands sent a chill down Levi’s neck, his hair standing on end. Erwin took Levi’s teacup in his hands and dumped the contents onto the floor. He smashed the cup on the table.

 

“What are you doing, Erw – Commander?” Levi asked as the man squeezed him hard.

 

“Levi,” Erwin started calmly, “if you ever make me look weak again in front of anybody,” he took a shard of the shattered porcelain, “I’ll give you another brand.” Levi swallowed hard again, gray eyes following Erwin’s grip on the shard. “But for now,” he removed his hand and dug the shiv into Levi’s thigh. He grunted sharply, holding in the pain.

 

“Remember where you came from, Levi,” Erwin warned. “Fuck with me again and you’ll wish you were back there.” The Commander marched out of the tavern.

 

Levi pulled a cravat out of his pocket and pressed it against his thigh. _Good thing I wasn’t wearing this tonight._ “Ah, shit,” he whispered to himself, now alone. He managed to stop the bleeding. Somehow, Erwin managed to hit his artery so that small cut pumped out more and more blood every second. He wrapped the cloth around his thigh and tied it tight. _Another brand? Wasn’t the first enough?_ He pressed his hand to his chest and felt the raised flesh where he was branded when he joined the Wings of Freedom. He lifted his black hoodie revealing it. He looked down at the two crossing wings just over his heart. He ran his fingers over the self-inflicted scars surrounding them. Taking another shard of broken porcelain, he added a fresh wound to his collection. With the pain, came the rush. With the rush, came the fall. And with the fall, came the numbness. All Levi wanted was the numbness.

 

He closed his eyes as he carved a second fresh cut onto his chest, thinking back to his first night in the Wings of Freedom…

 

_They were in a dimly lit, damp basement. Levi’s limbs were bound and he was leaning against an upright cot. He was bare-chested and sweating. He felt warmth coming from behind him._

 

_“Your particular skill-set is something we’re interested in,” Erwin stated._

_“Why the fuck should I help you?”_

_“Because I can give you a home. Food. Clothes. You won’t have to live on the street anymore. You’ll be working for a cause.”_

_“And if I don’t accept?”_

_“You don’t have a choice.”_

_A woman in glasses with messy, brown hair reached behind him and picked up a red-hot iron rod with a pair of thick gloves. He saw the wings as they got closer to his skin. He screamed out as his skin boiled under the pressure of the branding iron. He smelled his flesh burning and searing off. His vision went white and he tried to dissociate._

_“Because,” Erwin finished, “no one else will take you now.”_

_He blacked out._

_The next morning, he woke up on the same cot, chest aching. Erwin was standing on the opposite side of the room._

_“Welcome to the Wings of Freedom, Levi.”_

***

 

Back in his two-room apartment, Levi sat on his bed. His space was neat and tidy. Not that there was much to keep clean. All he had was a bed, a dresser, and a small stove in the corner. The second room was a bathroom with a tiny bathtub. He stood up and began to undress. He untied his now-drenched cravat and threw it in the tub. He pulled off his hoodie and, kicking his boots to the side, peeled off his pants. He looked at his arms and ran his fingers over cigarette burns and old cuts. His legs had the same pattern of scars. A majority of his scars were on his chest to the point where new ones formed over old ones. He reclined on the bed and let the air from his open window cool the room. He hadn’t killed for the cause before today. Today he’d become an assassin. He ripped parents away from a family. A monarch away from his kingdom. He was impressed and repulsed with himself. As much as he owed Erwin, he hated him for making him do his dirty work. Then there’s the toll that Erwin exacted upon him…

 

He tried to fall asleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw Erwin’s face. He felt his breath in his ear. He felt Erwin’s strong hand grope him and the disgust bubbled within Levi. _This is what I thought I was escaping._ He opened up his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t shake the feeling of Erwin on him, of Erwin touching him, of Erwin pushing inside him. He stomach was churning and he broke out in a cold sweat. He clutched his chest as he felt it tighten and pressure build on top of him. He sat up and took a deep breath, but to no avail. He felt it coming and he had to act fast. He threw himself at his dresser and open the top drawer. Rifling through clothes, he found his syringe and vial of opium. He clumsily filled the syringe, checked for air pockets, and injected himself. He felt his chest relax instantaneously as he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep.

 

***

 

Four-thirty in the morning came and Levi found himself staring at his ceiling again. He still had a bit of a buzz from earlier, but it was fading fast. He stared at his now-empty syringe on the floor and turned away from it. He felt his new mark from where the needle pierced his skin. He couldn’t give himself anymore without running the risk of not waking up in time to watch all hell break loose in the city. He sat up and pulled back a curtain. The sky was still dark – the dawn was two or so hours. He pushed himself off of his bed, threw on pants and his hoodie and descended the flight of stairs separating him from the city below.

 

He walked out of his building and headed in the direction of the royal palace. He lived only a couple blocks from the gate. On his way, he passed a number of closed shops and sleeping homeless men, women, and children. Levi crossed his arms in front of him and continued past them. Rounding the final corner before the palace, he saw the Wings of Freedom symbol carved into the side of a building. It was crudely done in haste, but it was still unmistakable. Levi ran his fingers across the carving and felt a jolt of pain in his thigh where Erwin cut him. _For the Hope of Humanity,_ he thought.

 

A boy running full speed to the palace smacked into him hard. The blond youth fell over and rolled along the walk. Levi jogged over to him.

 

“Whoa, you alright, kid?” he said, extending is arm.

 

The boy took the assistance and climbed onto his feet. He brushed the dirt off of the pants too short for him and the shirt too large.

 

“Thanks,” he said.

 

“Where’re you headed so quickly at this hour?”

 

“I, uh…”

 

Levi looked at the kid. He couldn’t be any older than fifteen. His clothes looked like he was trying to impress, but the ill-fit told Levi that he didn’t have nearly enough money. But then there was the look in his eyes. The boy was thinking at a mile a minute and Levi knew it. The kid was definitely a smart one. _Hanji would want this boy._

 

“Hey, what’s your name?”

 

“M-my name?” he asked, surprised someone was interested. “It’s Armin. Armin Arlert,” he spat. “I really have to go though. It’s urgent.”

 

“Okay, Armin. See you around,” Levi watched as the boy ran around the corner to the gate. Levi followed at a distance. He crept along the walls staying in the shadows of the buildings. _A fifteen-year-old going to the palace at almost five in the morning?_ Levi had a hunch and after hearing what Armin told the guard, he was glad he followed it.

 

“I’m here to see Prince Eren. He sent me this message regarding the King and Queen.” Armin pulled out a letter sealed with the Jaeger crest. Levi’s eyes widened.

 

“Armin!” he called, running over to the boy. “You’re coming to the palace about the King and Queen?”

 

“Yeah, how did you – ”

 

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” Levi interrupted, eyes darting around at the guards. “Listen. Let me come in with you. I may know a thing or two about who’s responsible for tonight.”

 

“What about tonight?” Armin asked. Levi glanced at the open letter

 

_Armin,_

_Come to the palace immediately. It’s about my parents._

_Eren_

_Well,_ Levi thought, _the Prince knows how to be brief._ “Armin,” he started, “the emergency bell? The fact that the Prince summoned you _now_?”

 

“I didn’t want to think about it that way,” Armin whispered. “How do I know I can trust you?”

 

Levi racked his brain. He only had one chance at this and he couldn’t screw it up. He dug into his back of his mind and said, “ _Vous êtes un homme intelligent, non?_ ” He hadn’t spoken French in years, but the words still rolled of his tongue. The following pause lasted an eternity until Armin’s face lit up.

 

“ _Parlez-vous français?!_ ”

 

He did it.

 

“ _Oui, je te donne ma parole que vous pouvez me faire confiance_.”

 

“They say his word is all a man has,” Armin added, extending his hand. “If I let you in with me, can you teach me more French?” Levi nodded his head slowly and shook the boy’s hand, pleased with himself.

 

“Okay. Come with me.”

 

The palace gates opened and the two disappeared into the front garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren will meet for the first time in the next chapter. 
> 
> Hope you're enjoying so far!


	3. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Mikasa discuss the events of last night, when they meet Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goodness gracious this wasn't easy to write. this is a delightful challenge. ^_^ 
> 
> tw: panic attack, scars, referenced sexual abuse

Eren rested his head in his hands as he sat at the end of the dining room table, opposite his father’s usual seat. Mikasa paced slowly next to him, ever calm and collected. It was two-thirty in the morning – a mere two and a half hours since his parents’ massacre. His mind was silent. The only thing he heard was his shallow breathing. _Dead. They’re dead. My mom and dad are dead._ He heard footsteps descending the stairs. He looked up and saw the white-masked men carrying his parents’ corpses. He stood up and walked out of the room.

 

“Eren?” Mikasa called, following him into the kitchen. “Eren!”

 

“I can’t do this, Mikasa. I can’t.” He began to hyperventilate.

 

“Eren,” she whispered, pulling him in tight against her chest. “Sh, sh, shh…”

 

Eren cried silently into Mikasa’s shoulder. Contrary to her muscular frame, she held Eren warmly and understandingly. A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. She felt the pain of Eren’s loss. Grisha and Carla took Mikasa in when she lost her parents. She was familiar with this type of loss, but the sting remained. Eren sobbed into her.

 

“Eren,” she started. “We have to start making plans. You’re the king.”

 

“Wh-what?”

 

“You heard me. The crown passes to you upon death of the monarch. It’s time to start.”

 

Eren felt a pit in his stomach. That thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. _I’m in charge now…?_

 

“B-but,” he stuttered, “I have no idea what I’m doing. I can’t run a kingdom! I’m fifteen years old and didn’t pay attention! What the fuck am I supposed to do?” He began pacing. He pulse raced and his breathing grew labored. _Not another one._ “I need air.”

 

“I’m coming with – ”

 

“No. I need to be alone.”

 

“I don’t care. I’ll give you space. I just don’t want you going outside alone right now.”

 

“Why not? If I die, I die. It’s not like living will give me any – ”

 

Mikasa slapped him across the face. “Don’t you say that. I’m not losing you, too. You’re the only family that I have left,” she said, hand gripping a scarf around her neck. “Please, Eren. I just want to make sure that you’re okay. I – ”

 

“You what?”

 

“I promised them.”

 

Eren’s eyes softened and he conceded. “Fine.”

 

Eren walked out of the back door of the kitchen onto the east lawn of the grounds. The air was frigid and his lungs felt as if they had been frozen over. It was refreshing. He walked along the wall, toward the backwoods. Upon reaching the northern façade, he leaned back and looked up. The stars shone brighter than they had in years. _I can practically trace them_. He sunk to the ground and felt the cold dirt on his pajama pants. Running his hands along the ground, he noticed a boot print dug into it. _They were here._ The impression wasn’t clear, but it was definitely the assassin’s boot. He looked up and realized he was right below his parents’ room. _Were they listening?_

 

Eren closed his eyes and felt the cold air rush through him. The frigidity was cathartic. With each inhale, he exhaled anxiety. He reveled in the chill of the night, numbing his fingers and toes, the cold encroaching upon his limbs. He sighed. _Not being able to feel is nice_ , he thought. Eren wasn’t one to run from emotions, but tonight was an exception. He didn’t want to deal with anything of the sort. His parents were dead and the reality that he had to continue their legacy was becoming increasingly apparent. He had a kingdom to run. He had an army to oversee. People to keep safe. The kingdom’s huge. _How’m I supposed to even start?_ He thought back to what Mikasa said in the kitchen.

 

 _“We have to start making plans._ ”

 

 _She’s right_ , he thought. He looked behind him and saw Mikasa about twenty feet away. He motioned for her to join him. She walked over and sat next to her brother. “How’re you holding up?”

 

Eren took a cleansing breath. “Better.”

 

“Good. Think you can do this?”

 

“I don’t know about me. But I think the two of us can. And,” he added, “Armin.”

 

Mikasa smiled. “Come on,” she said, “let’s go back inside.”

 

“I don’t know if I can go back in there yet.”

 

She saw one of her new recruits walking back from the rear grounds. She stood up.

 

“Bott!”

 

The kid jumped, hearing Mikasa call his name. He scurried over to his commanding officer. The tan, freckled boy stood as still as his knees would allow him and saluted.

 

“Relax, Marco. This isn’t training. At ease.”

 

He let out a sigh and relaxed.

 

“What can I do for you, Mikasa?”

 

Mikasa raised her eyebrow. “This might not be training, but you’re still not calling me by my first name. We aren’t friends.”

 

“Yet!”

 

She flicked his forehead. “Ow! Sorry, Sergeant.”

 

“Can you please run into the palace and get a blanket for the King? Oh, and a piece of paper, something to write with, and the seal.”

 

“Uh, okay.”

 

“Make it quick, Bott.”

 

“Yes, ma’am!”

 

He bolted into the building. She sat down next to Eren again.

 

“Paper?” he asked.

 

“How else are we going to get Armin here?”

 

Eren nodded and looked back up at the night sky. “What’re we going to do?” he asked. He had no idea where to start. The military would take care of the funeral planning. He’d have to speak there, but that was something he wouldn’t have to worry about for a week or so. Notice of the event was already spreading. General Pixis had arrived and instantly sent out the word via couriers around the nation. The coronation had to be planned. He’d have to meet with nobles and governors over the coming months to prepare.

 

“Wait,” Eren said. “I thought I couldn’t assume the throne until I turned eighteen? Doesn’t there have to be a regent or something?”

 

Mikasa thought for a moment. She looked at Eren. “I don't think so. We need Armin here.”

 

Marco wheeled around the corner.

 

“Here you go, Sergeant! Your Majesty,” he bowed, “I’m so sorry for the loss you’re suffering. If there’s anything you need of me, I will always be loyal to the Jaeger family.” He saluted. “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer!_ ”

 

Hearing himself called “majesty” was unsettling.

 

“Thank you, Marco,” Eren said, rising. “Your loyalty means the world to me. To us,” he added, resting his hand on Mikasa’s shoulder. His tearstains were drying. “Where are you from?”

 

“I-I was born and raised right here in the capital,” he stuttered.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Eren took the paper and pen. He scrawled a note to Armin and affixed the seal. “Do you know where Armin Arlert lives?”

 

“Arlert, yes. My family does business with his grandfather. I’ve seen him before.”

 

“Can you deliver this letter to him _immediately._ It’s urgent that he get it as soon as possible.”

 

“Y-yes, Your Majesty! You can count on me!” he choked, flustered. He turned pink under his freckles as he turned on his heels and ran to the front of the palace, clutching the letter.

 

“You just made his night,” Mikasa commented.

 

“Is he gonna deliver it?”

 

“Yeah,” Mikasa confirmed. “He’s a good one.”

 

***

 

Eren had finally mustered up the courage to go back into the palace. Two more hours of napping on the ground with Mikasa turned the relaxing cold to a potential frostbite situation, even with the blanket. He paced in the dark throne room, lit with two candles. Eren reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he found placed next to his parents. He unfolded it and brought it into the light. Studying the letter, he found the paper had a watermark of two crossed wings. _This has to be the real thing._

 

Mikasa stepped behind Eren, peering at the letter over his shoulder. “You think this is really from the Wings of Freedom?”

 

Eren took a long, deep breath. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure. See this mark?” he adjusted the light. “There’s no way anyone but that gang could’ve got this paper. It’d be expensive, right?”

 

“Yeah. And not many places make this stuff, either.”

 

“They’re targeting me directly, Mikasa. They specifically said ‘Your Majesty.’ They planned to keep me alive.”

 

Mikasa was silent.

 

“What should we do?” he asked.

 

“Well, technically, it’s not my call. With an assault on the royal family, the military gets involved in the investigation with the intelligence corps. It’s not a police matter.”

 

“So, it’s Pixis.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Eren groaned. “I fucking hate that man.”

 

“I know. But,” she began, “you do have the power to remove him from his post. Not very smart, but just saying. He knows that you can do it. So he’ll have to show you at least a little respect.”

 

“I guess.”

 

The two were silent. Eren continued to study the note. He traced each individual letter with his eyes, studying each stroke, memorizing the characteristics of the handwriting. Mikasa stepped away and continued to pace the vast room.

 

“No sign of Armin yet?” she said, her voice echoing throughout the room. “Marco came back almost an hour ago.”

 

Eren turned to her. “Marco came back? What do you mean he came back?”

 

“It’s a pretty simple concept, Eren.”

 

“He came back _without_ Armin?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I should’ve told him to escort Armin back with him. I don’t want him getting caught in something. What if he gets jumped? It’s late and he isn’t a fighter or anything. Son of a bitch!”

 

“Eren. Relax. It’ll be fine. Police’re crawling all over the city. If anyone tries something, they’ll be on it.”

 

He sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

 

There was a knock at the door and the two jumped.

 

“Come in,” Eren called, picking up a candle. The windows started to turn dark blue, marginally brightening the room. The door creaked open.

 

“Kirschtein? What’re you doing here?” Mikasa asked.

 

“U-uh, Sergeant! General Pixis is here to confer with His Majesty.”

 

Eren rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. It was bad enough dealing with the General on a regular day _with_ his parents around. He definitely wasn’t ready to deal with him without them. He plopped onto the floor.

 

“Can you tell him to come back later?” Eren groaned.

 

“Is that the way a king is to behave?” Pixis sneered as he burst into the room, shoving Jean into the wall.

 

 _So much for the respect_. “What can I do for you, General?”

 

“I’ve conferenced with the police and intelligence corps and we’ve come to the conclusion that the attack was perpetrated by trained assassins from the Northern Kingdom. They vanished into the backwoods and mercilessly butchered officers who had detained them – ”

 

“No,” Eren interrupted. “It was the Wings of Freedom.”

 

Pixis scoffed. “The Wings of Freedom?” He chuckled. “Boy, the Wings of Freedom don’t exist. They’re just a myth perpetuated by the people to give them false hope.”

 

Mikasa and Eren exchanged a look. He pushed the letter back into his pocket.

 

“Don’t attack the North,” Eren ordered. “And don’t call me ‘boy’ either.”

 

“And why not? They’ve drawn first blood.”

 

“Mikasa and I will investigate into the Wings of Freedom and determine whether they are responsible or not. Evidence found at the scene suggests their involvement.”

 

Pixis rubbed his temples as a smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. “I suppose,” he began, “I will only begin preparations and wait to launch a strike.”

 

“No,” Eren declared. “You’re not going to do anything that even resembles mobilization.”

 

“But, Your Majesty – ”

 

“No, Pixis. And if I find out that you started any military action without my approval, I’ll consider it treason.”

 

Pixis stared at Eren in the blue light pouring in from the windows. His green eyes shone bright and were intense. The man lowered his head. “As you wish, King Eren,” he said. He turned on his heels and briskly left the room, opposite of his entrance, door slamming behind him.

 

“Impressive,” Mikasa commented. “Where’d that come from?”

 

“I don’t know. It just kinda happened.”

 

“Well, you’re going to need to keep that up if you’re gonna stay alive,” a voice rang out, its owner stepping into the now golden light trickling into the room. His eyes flashed a steel gray, cold and calculating. He ran his hand through the hair hanging along his forehead and pushed it back. The sleeve of his hoodie slid down, revealing a strong forearm, accented by scars. The man knelt down.

 

“King Eren of Shiganshina – ”

 

“Wh-who are you?” Eren asked, stepping away, guarded. Any semblance of the Eren that just told off Pixis vanished. Mikasa stepped in front of him, blade drawn.

 

“How did you get here?” she pressed.

 

“I brought him in,” Armin chimed in, entering the room. “Levi,” he said, turning to the man, “I asked you to wait so I could introduce you.”

 

“Armin,” Eren snapped. “What the hell are you thinking?”

 

“ _Je suis désolé, Armin_ ,” he apologized, rising, “I heard the King arguing about the Wings of Freedom and I wanted to hear it.”

 

“He said he had an idea of who might’ve done this to – ” Armin paused. “To your parents. Are they really…”

 

“Yeah,” Eren confirmed, turning his back to them. He walked towards the throne perched on the back wall. The light began to pour in as the sun continued to rise outside. The embellishment of the room became more and more apparent. The throne glinted gold as the rays bounced off its gilded décor. Paintings on the walls depicting the history of Shiganshina and the lineage of the Jaeger family came to life with the dawn. Eren sat on the steps to the throne.

 

“Who are you?” Eren asked Levi, stone-faced, attempting to keep his voice from shaking. Levi began to walk towards him, his boots echoing in the hall. Eren watched as the man glided across the room with a calm as still as the night, cold gray eyes trained on Eren’s electric greens. He felt an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach that was foreign to him. His palms grew moist. He was getting nervous and Levi’s silence was only reinforcing it.

 

“I-I asked you a question.”

 

“My name is Levi.”

 

Eren stood up as Levi stopped in front of his. Upon rising, the height difference was quite apparent. He raised his brow.

 

“What?” Levi asked.

 

“Nothing. You’re much shorter than you seem from a distance.”

 

Levi shifted and crossed his arms, holding his tongue.

 

“Where are you from, Levi?”

 

He paused and turned away from Eren. Moving towards the portraits of the Jaeger family, he said, “Where I’m from isn’t important. It’s where I am now.”

 

“And where are you now?”

 

“I’m in the royal palace to tell the King that his parents were murdered by the Wings of Freedom.”

 

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin exchanged a look. Mikasa stepped forward. “How do we know we can trust you?”

 

Levi looked at Armin, who added, “He speaks French.”

 

Eren snorted.  “So? What does speaking a language have to do with a level of trustworthiness?”

 

“Well, for one,” Levi started, “I haven’t tried to kill you yet.” Eren shifted uncomfortably. Mikasa’s hand instinctively found her blade.

 

Armin thrust his hands in his pockets and added, “Two, French speakers are highly educated. It’s spoken mainly by nobles in foreign lands and is taught to their children. You’re either high born or you came from a wealthy family, but you’re definitely from another country.”

 

“But,” Mikasa began, “that doesn’t – ”

 

“Also,” he continued, “if Levi meant immediate harm, he would’ve taken me hostage and used me as collateral for you, Eren. Besides, we were checked at the front door to the palace. He doesn’t have any weapons.”

 

Mikasa’s hand fell to her side and she crossed her arms. “I still don’t like it. You shouldn’t have brought a stranger here without telling us.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Armin whispered. “I just – I just wanted to help.” He turned to Levi. “Can you tell us what you know?”

 

Levi turned around. “It’s dusty in here. And I’m hungry. You got anything to eat?”

 

***

 

“Are you sure we should be eating in here?” Armin asked, clearing off a counter in the kitchen. He cautiously stacked pots and pans, doing his best not to make noise. Levi flipped through cupboards and landed upon a package of saltine crackers. “These’ll do,” he mumbled, tearing them open and crunching down on them. As unorthodox as he behaved, Eren noticed that he made sure to minimize the mess.

 

“You’ve got food now. Can you tell us what you know?” Eren sighed, resting his head on his hand. Levi took observed as the boy drifted into a daydream. He raised his eyebrow. “Doesn’t seem like you want to know.”

 

“It’s been a long fucking night and I don’t have time for this shit,” Eren snapped. “Now tell me,” he hissed.

 

Levi lunged forward and gripped his shirt bringing him inches from his face. “Don’t you fucking talk to me like that you little shit.” Mikasa quickly separated the two and pinned Levi against the counter. “You’re really not helping yourself,” she warned. Levi growled under his breath. “Fine.” He shook her off and straightened himself.

 

“The only way you’ll get information out of me is if I can talk to the King alone.”

 

Mikasa scoffed. “No fucking way. You’re out of your mind.”

 

Eren looked to the window, clouds rolling closer in the distance. “Fine.”

 

“What?” Armin gasped.

 

“Eren, you can’t be serious,” Mikasa seethed. “With what he just did? Really, Eren?”

 

“I need to know as much as I can about what happened last night. If it means I have to have this meeting alone, then so be it. You can wait right outside,” Eren said through a yawn.

 

Mikasa walked up to Levi. “If you put a finger on him, I swear to god it’ll be the last thing you do.” She grabbed Armin and marched out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind her.

 

Silence hung in the air as Levi and Eren sat opposite each other.

 

 _I have him alone_ , Levi thought. _What to do?_ Erwin wanted him alive, but killing him would be a slap in the face to the Commander. Levi surveyed the young King. The sunlight accentuated his olive skin. His skin was free of blemish, unlike Levi’s arms, legs, and chest, which were almost perforated. Eren spaced out again. “Hey,” Levi called, attempting to snap him out of it. “Hm?”

 

“What’re you thinking about?” Levi asked, crunching on another cracker.

 

“Let’s see, my parents are dead and I’m running a country and it’s not even seven o’clock yet. Also,” he continued, rising from his seat, “I’m in a kitchen alone with a complete stranger. Now that I think about it, not the smartest move,” he commented, eyes darting toward the set of knives on the wall.

 

Levi bit his lip. _Do I feel bad for him?_ “Look,” he said, pulling out another cracker, “shit happens. Your parents are dead and you’re the King. Sometimes you just have to roll with what comes your way.”

 

Eren sighed and crossed his arms. He moved to the window and pushed back the curtain. The sun cast a shadow of the palace across the western grounds. He saw the storm clouds in the distance continue to roll closer. Lightning flashed among them. “I guess.” He grabbed a stool and sat directly across from Levi. “Why are you here?”

 

“I told you, Your Majesty, I have information about the assassins.”

 

“First, call me Eren. Please.”

 

Levi turned a light pink. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_ “Okay, uh, Eren.” _That’s weird to say._

 

“Second, you said you have information about who killed my parents, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here right _now_. What made you come to me right now?” Eren prodded.

 

“I thought that it would be better to do it right away.”

 

“Why are you here, Levi?”

 

Levi racked his brain for a reason. _I can’t tell him I’m in the Wings of Freedom, or I’m dead. Do I say I’m running?_ His heart was pounding. _Erwin doesn’t even know I’m here_. _What the fuck am I supposed to do?_

 

“I, um,” he stuttered. _Why am I stuttering?!_

 

He looked at the fifteen-year-old in front of him. _Say words, for fuck’s sake._

 

“Levi? Why are you he – ”

 

Levi grabbed Eren’s shirt and planted a kiss square on the mouth. Eren’s lips were taut and his eyes wide open. Eren felt his chest tightening and pulse racing. After a couple seconds, Levi pulled away awkwardly. _Those weren’t words, you goddamn idiot._

 

“I don’t know why I did that,” Levi choked, flustered. Eren stood motionless, beet red. The silence that followed was deafening. Eren wrung his hands and Levi scratched the back of his head.

 

“Uh,” Eren started, “I, um, just what do you know about what happened?”

 

“Okay,” Levi started, recomposing himself. He cleared his throat. “I can tell you that Erwin Smith is the leader of the Wings of Freedom. He set this whole thing up.”

 

“How do you know?"

 

"Because I've heard him talking about it."

 

"Erwin Smith…where did he come from?”

 

Levi sighed. “No idea. He appeared in Shiganshina almost twenty years ago and started to build up the Wings of Freedom. I crossed paths with him seven years ago.”

 

“How do you know him?”

 

 _Shit._  “In passing.” His breathing became labored. He hadn’t actually thought about Erwin since he had to self-medicate himself to sleep last night.

 

“Have you worked with him?”

 

 _Fuck._ The memories of Erwin cutting, branding, and using him flooded into Levi’s head. He started to sweat and gripped his chest. He started to fall back into his memories. _“You like that Levi?”_ “No…” _“Yes, you do…”_ “No…”

 

He couldn’t tell if he was thinking or speaking.

 

“Levi?”

 

He ran over to the sink and vomited before passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 4 to come soon! thanks for reading so far!


	4. Preservation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi wakes up in the royal palace. Meanwhile, the Special Operations Squad learns of Levi's disappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really fun to write. Just thought I'd share that. Comments and feedback are more than welcome. I love to hear what you think :) 
> 
> If you want to hear the referenced piece in this chapter, open the link embedded in the underlined text in a new window. I tried to automatically do that, but it didn't work .___.
> 
> tw: violence and a little bit of self harm. 
> 
> also threw some jeanmarco in here because I'm an idiot and can't help myself~

_Levi tried to open his eyes, but they were so heavy under the weight of opium that he could barely peek through the lids. After a few minutes of strain, he was able to let some light in – enough to make out the shape of a woman. Slowly, she came into focus and he recognized her from his first night._

_“You, again…”_

_The woman turned around, light reflecting off her glasses and messy hair flinging to the side. “Look who’s awake!”_

_Levi groaned. “Where am I?” He felt sick._

_The woman brought him a glass of water. “Drink this. You’re dehydrated.”_

_He obliged, lifting a heavy arm and attempting to reach the cup. He took a sip and felt the cool radiate throughout him. He chugged the entire glass._

_“Whoa, calm down there!” she said, taking the glass from him. Levi wiped his mouth and tried sitting all the way up. “Agh – fuck!” he grunted. His chest felt like it was about to rip open._

_“It might not be a good idea to sit up,” she commented. “You’re not completely healed up yet.”_

_Levi plopped back down onto the bed and felt his muscles relax, knowing they won’t be doing much for a bit. He looked down at his chest and saw dark red dressings on his chest. “Who are you?”_

_“I’m Dr. Hanji Zoe.”_

_“Are you part of the Wings of Freedom?”_

_“No.”_

_“Then why did you brand me?”_

_“Because I’m the only doctor in the area that knows how to do it properly. And Erwin’s wallet and reach is quite persuasive,” she explained, fiddling with gauze. “Here,” she said, offering Levi a clean towel. Put this in your mouth. Bite down if it hurts. She tore the gauze off of his chest. It didn’t hurt as much as he thought. She took a second towel from a basin on the floor and pressed it to his chest. His eyes shut tight in pain and he bit down hard, grunting loudly. “Hang on,” Hanji said, “almost done.” She removed the towel and Levi attempted to look at the burn. It was blistered, but not as bloody as he expected. He could see the clear outline of the wings. A breeze blew through the room from the window and the cool air stung. Hanji was staring at Levi’s chest._

_“What?” he mumbled through the towel._

_“It’s so interesting.”_

_“Hm?” he grunted._

_“Human skin is so delightfully interesting when it tries to heal itself.”_

_He spat out the towel._

_“What the fuck is wrong with you?”_

_“You’re gonna regret that,” she warned as she soaked another towel in a second solution. She pressed it to the burn and Levi screamed._

 

Levi woke up bathed in sweat and panting. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. “Just a dream…” The afterglow of the memory still burned in his chest. “Fucking Hanji.” He closed his eyes again and focused on his breathing. Slowly, his pulse decelerated and he was calm. He ran his hands over the sheets. _Damn these are soft._ He remembered that he was in the royal palace. He threw the blankets off of him and sat up. He was still in his hoodie and pants from last night. He let out a sigh of relief. _That could’ve been bad._ He moved to the window and pulled back the curtains. The clouds from earlier rolled in and blanketed the sky. “What time is it?” he whispered to himself, pushing the window open.

 

He looked down and saw Eren and Armin sitting on the lawn below, talking. He was three stories up, so their conversation was inaudible. The boy was smiling, which Levi found oddly refreshing. His expression softened and he relaxed. _He seems okay._ He recalled the awkward moment they had in the kitchen earlier that morning. _What the fuck was I thinking?_ Levi turned away from the open window and looked around the room. The room was simple, yet still had a touch of elegance. The bed was a four-poster bed with a full set of linens. There was a solid oak closet and bureau with a full length mirror next to it. The walls were pained a deep blood red and had the words “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer_ ” painted on them in a refined, golden script. Levi ran his finger along the gold-trimmed furniture and walked into the conjoined bathroom. The granite fixtures were studded with gold. He kicked off his boots and pulled his hoodie off, revealing his torso. He moved in front of the mirror above the sink and ran his hands over the wings on his chest. He felt a lump form in his throat. _I need a bath._ He turned the water on and filled up the tub. He peeled off his pants and stepped into the tub, sinking into the warm water.

 

_What’m I gonna do?_ He never thought he’d be in this position. He was inside the palace and gaining the King’s trust. _I didn’t give much information about the killing,_ he remembered. _They might still ask me._ He thought back to last night’s choice to follow Armin. _That was completely out of nowhere. If Erwin knew I was here…_. He shuddered and splashed water on his face. _What’s the point of doing what he wants? I could get protection…_. He thought about his squad. _They’ll probably look for me if they haven’t started yet. And then there’s Mike who can probably can smell something’s up._ He chuckled to himself.

 

_“Why are you here, Levi?_ ”

 

Eren’s words echoed in his head. _Why_ did _I come here? To take him out? To go against Erwin?_ He sighed and sunk beneath the water. He felt the stress bubble up within him. He bit down on his lip hard. He tasted blood and felt the pain shoot through his face. Then he was numb.

 

***

 

“So, there definitely doesn’t have to be a regent?” Eren asked, tugging at the grass beneath him. He looked up at the gray sky.

 

“No,” Armin answered. “I mean, you could choose to not assume the throne until eighteen, but then your regent would be General Pixis.”

 

Eren scoffed. “Fuck that.” He looked up at the third floor window. He had Levi placed in a spare room after he passed out in the kitchen. _I wonder if he’s okay._

 

“What is it?” Armin asked.

 

Eren twisted the grass out of the ground and played with it in his hands. He turned a light pink and licked his lips. He could faintly taste Levi’s, even hours later. “Uh, Armin,” he began, “have you, um, have you had your first kiss yet?” He scratched the back of his head.

 

“We’re talking about succeeding your parents and you’re asking me about kissing girls?” Armin asked back, brow raised.

 

“Uh, never mind.”

 

“But, no. I haven’t. Why?”

 

“Um, no reason,” Eren stuttered. Armin looked long and hard at Eren, who was now looking away, purposefully averting his gaze.

 

“So what do you think of Levi?”

 

Eren turned red and stood up quickly. “I don’t trust him yet. I think he’s hiding something.”

 

“Where are you going?” Armin called as Eren began walking towards the northern end of the grounds.

 

“For a walk!” Eren replied, disappearing around the corner of the building, into the courtyard. _Oh god, what’s wrong with me,_ he thought as he slowed to a stroll. He remembered Levi’s strange kiss earlier that morning. _That was the first time I’ve been kissed. And it was with a guy. And I don’t even know him_. He moved over to the fully blooming cherry blossoms. Memories of playing with his mother and Mikasa flashed into his mind and he felt a jolt of grief rehash this morning’s wound. A breeze blew by and nudged petals off of the trees in a whirl of pink and white. In the distance, he heard thunder rumble. _Here comes the rain._ He sat beneath the trees and watched the clouds darken. He saw the two recruits he met earlier walking along the trees.

 

“Bott! Kirschtein!”

 

The two jumped and scurried over to Eren.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Jean said bowing his head.

 

“What can we do for you?” Marco added, turning light pink.

 

Eren surveyed the two. “At ease,” he sighed. They relaxed. “Tell me, what have you two been up to all day?”

 

They exchanged a confused look. “Well,” Marco started, “we’re just on a break from patrolling the grounds. We’re doing it in shifts and Jean thought – ”

 

“ – that it’d be a good idea to roam my courtyard?”

 

Marco and Jean became visibly nervous. “Uh, we, um,” Jean stuttered.

 

Eren turned to the tree and plucked off a cherry blossom. He extended it to them. “You two have been very helpful today and I greatly appreciate it. Take this as a thank you.”

 

Jean took the flower from Eren. “It’s our pleasure to serve you!” he declared.

 

The two saluted, “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer!_ For the preservation of Shiganshina!”

 

Eren smiled at them. “Now go. Enjoy the rest of your break, recruits.”

 

The hurried off and Eren watched the two. They stopped halfway across the courtyard and Jean put the flower in Marco’s hair. He saw Marco blush and Jean awkwardly scratch the back of his head. Eren felt the first couple of raindrops and proceeded to make his way to the grand ballroom door. Reaching for the golden handle, he heard a [delicate tune wafting through the crack between the doors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPErSyk5iHs). He hadn’t heard someone play the piano in the ballroom this deftly since his grandfather passed away years ago. He slowly opened the door and snuck into the room.

 

He found Levi sitting at the piano, dressed in a basic white shirt and black pants. His hair was pushed back and damp, exposing his entire face. He had his sleeves rolled up, forearm muscles contracting and relaxing as his hands caressed the keys. His eyes were closed as he fingered a delicate bass with his left hand. His right soon joined in with the high airy melody. Eren silently closed the door behind him as he listened to Levi’s music and watched him get lost in the performance. This strange man’s rough exterior was melting away with each note he played. His fingers skillfully graced the keys, artfully playing each trill, triplet, and sextuplet keeping the nocturnal bass steady. A smile crept onto Eren’s face and his mouth hung open. Levi’s body moved with the ebbing and flowing intensity of the piece. The rain started to fall harder and pattered against the doors, but Levi was so lost in his playing that he didn’t notice. Eren slowly moved closer to get a better look at Levi’s hands. They moved so gracefully as the reprised the main melody, until they began to fly through a trill and speed through a sequence that covered the top half of the keyboard. _Whoa,_ Eren thought. Levi breathed in as he drew nearer to the end of the piece, slowly exhaling as the denouement brought his hands up the piano and back down to the final chords.

 

Levi let his hands linger on the ivory, eyes closed. Eren opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off. “It’s Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat major.”

 

“When did you notice me come in?”

 

“You’ve been here the whole time,” he remarked, softly. “Thanks for not interrupting.”

 

“Yeah,” Eren whispered back. “It was really nice. You’re really good.”

 

Levi covered the keys, stood up, and sat on the wood. “Thanks for the room, too,” he replied, ignoring the compliment. “Hope you don’t mind I took the clothes in the dresser.”

 

Eren looked at the shirt and pants that were obviously too big on the man now that he was standing. “Yeah, those were mine.” Levi’s eyes widened. “I-I thought you could use something and I f-figured it’d be easier to, um, give you something of mine.”

 

Levi looked at the clothes he was wearing. “Eh,” he shrugged. “You roll up the sleeves and it’s fine. The socks are a luxury though,” he commented, curling up his toes. Eren noticed the scars on his arms. “What happened to your arms?”

 

“Oh,” Levi said, remembering he was exposed. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Doesn’t look like nothing.”

 

“It’s nothing. Drop it.”

 

The two were silent again. Eren walked around the empty room, his footsteps echoing. “So where’d you learn to play like that?”

 

Levi paused before he spoke. _I guess there’s no harm in telling him a little truth._ “Your friend Armin was right,” he began. “My family was pretty well off and they taught me how to play the piano.”

 

“Where are you from?”

 

Levi sighed. “Does it really matter?”

 

“It matters to me.”

 

Levi couldn’t tell if Eren meant that in a compassionate or a political way. _Either way, it doesn’t matter_. “Another country. Can we not talk about me?”

 

“Okay, then. Why haven’t you left yet?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Why are you still here? If I were you I probably would’ve taken off by now.”

 

“I still have information.”

 

“What makes you think I want the information you have?”

 

Levi smirked. “ _Jäger, Sieger, Führer_ …for the preservation of Shiganshina. What exactly does your house motto mean?”

 

“I-It means ‘Hunter, Victor, Leader.’” Eren answered as Levi began to slowly pace the room, gradually approaching Eren.

 

“Now, Eren,” Levi hissed. “If you’re _ever_ going to find the person responsible for the death of your parents, you’re going to need someone who knows how the Wings of Freedom works.”

 

“And you know?”

 

_Shit,_ Levi thought, _didn’t think this all the way through._ “Yeah.”

 

“How?”

 

“Because I used to be one of them,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the wings branded on his chest. “This is what they did to me when I wanted out.” _I hope he buys this._

 

Eren walked over to Levi and reached his hand out to touch the mark. “All these scars,” he whispered, looking into Levi’s eyes. He grabbed the back of the man’s neck and brought him in and held him close. “I can’t believe they did this to you,” he breathed into his ear. Levi slowly wrapped his arms around Eren and returned the hug. He relaxed in his arms and for the first time he felt at ease.

 

***

 

Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther strolled down the street in the now-drizzling rain. The graffiti covered walls and edifices were water stained and darkened the street under the gray sky. Children jumped in the puddles, much to the protest of their parents, soaking their dirty shoes and pants.

 

“Petra! Petra!” one of the children called. “Play with us!”

 

Petra giggled. “I can’t today, sweetie. I don’t think your mummy would be very happy to know that you were all wet!”

 

“Aw, okay.”

 

“Maybe next time, okay?”

 

“Okay!”

 

Oluo jabbed her in the side. “Play with us, Petra!”

 

“Yeah!” Gunther added.

 

“Will the two of you shut your mouth,” Eld scolded.

 

“I guess when Levi isn’t here, you’re the one to spoil it,” Gunther remarked.

 

“No,” Eld quipped. “Usually that Oluo.”

 

Oluo turned his nose up and adjusted his cravat. “You’re just jealous of my natural leadership qualities.”

 

“Yeah, I wish I could be as much a party-pooper as you,” Petra jabbed.

 

Oluo turned red and marched in front of the group, leading them to Levi’s apartment building.

 

“He’s the second floor, right?” Oluo asked.

 

“Yeah,” Eld said. “Let’s head up.”

 

“Are you sure?” Petra hesitated. “Levi doesn’t like it when we show up unannounced.”

 

“Dr. Hanji said that she needed to see him. I think that we’re in the right,” Gunther stated.

 

The four treaded up the stairs and knocked at the door.

 

“Levi!” Petra called. “It’s us! Open up!”

 

No answer.

 

“Yo, Levi!” Oluo bellowed.

 

“Can you not?” Eld hissed covering his ears.

 

Still nothing. Gunther twisted the knob and the door opened. “It’s unlocked?”

 

Petra walked into the room first, the door creaking as she pushed it against the wall. The bed was unmade, sheets soaked from the rain that poured in through the open window. His boots were gone. She walked into the bathroom and saw his bloodied cravat in the tub.

 

“Uh, guys,” Oluo said, lifting the syringe and vial of opium off of the floor.

 

Petra held the cravat in her hands.

 

“Where the hell is he?” Eld asked.

 

***

 

_“Levi,” Erwin said, “meet your team members. Petra Ral, Oluo Bozado, Eld Jinn, and Gunther Schultz.” Levi eyed the four and grunted. “These four are highly specialized and skilled at stealth and combat. The five of you together are going to be our Special Operations Squad.”_

_“Special Operations?” Levi asked, skeptically._

_“Yes,” Erwin continued. “You will be responsible for the gathering of intel on the Jaeger regime. And,” he said, looking out a window, “if you succeed, you will have the honor of setting our ultimate plan in motion. Now,” he moved back to the group, “Levi here has had a lot of experience in this line of work.”_

_“What did you do before you joined the Wings?” Petra asked._

_“He was – ”_

_“I was a thief of sorts,” he interrupted. Erwin shot him a look – a look that he’d cringe at the sight of in a matter of months._

_“Thief?” Oluo prodded._

_“Yeah.”_

_“What’d you steal?”_

_Levi looked at Erwin. He didn’t want to share where he came from and how he got out, but he knew he didn’t have a say in what Erwin wanted to share._

_“As a child, he was abducted by traffickers and forced into sexual slavery.”_

_“Erwin.”_

_“A couple years ago, he began to dismantle the entire ring and, just before the collapse, managed to steal the wealth they had accumulated during their conquest of the country and rich and powerful families.”_

_“What happened to that wealth?”_

_Erwin smirked. “Levi so generously donated it to our cause.”_

_Levi shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t need to hear his past re-told. Even if it was highly abridged._

_“I’ll let you five get to know each other.”_

_Erwin turned on his heels and marched out of the room, leaving them alone with each other. Levi looked at each of them as they stared at him._

_“What?” he snapped._

_“Nothing,” Gunther said. “You managed to get out of a sex trafficking ring_ and _dismantle it?” Levi nodded._

_“Impressive,” Oluo remarked. “What’s with the cravat, man?”_

_Levi looked at the white cloth. “It reminds me of home.”_

_“Where’s home exactly?” Petra asked, innocently._

_“Definitely not here,” he sneered. “Aren’t you a little to small to be considered part of Special Ops?”_

_“Don’t be fooled,” Oluo warned. “I’ve seen her take down three officers by herself with nothing but a plank of wood.”_

_Levi raised his brow. “Is there anything to drink around here?”_

_“I think there’s a bottle of whiskey in the cabinet over there,” Eld said._

_“Eh, I prefer tea.”_

_The four looked at each other. “Tea?” Oluo asked in disbelief. “You’d rather drink leaf water than booze?”_

_“Yeah,” Levi said matter-of-factly. “Just because I’m in a gang doesn’t mean I can’t be a little classy. Besides, alcohol and I don’t mix too well.”_

_“Let’s go to Trost’s tonight and celebrate. You can get tea there.”_

_“Celebrate?” Gunther asked._

_“Yeah! We’re officially a team. I think we should drink to that.”_

_Levi shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”_

***

 

“Are you sure we want to get Erwin involved in this? We can find him ourselves,” Petra asked Oluo. The man walked with conviction into Trost Tavern and barged through the back door. He followed the dark staircase and approached a door with the Wings of Freedom insignia emblazoned on it. The other three caught up to him.

 

“If Erwin finds out Levi’s gone, he’s gonna go on a rampage,” Eld said bluntly.

 

“It’s not like we had anything to do with it though,” Gunther added.

 

“I don’t care,” Petra declared. “I don’t think we should get Erwin involved. It’s better if we find him ourselves.” She lowered her voice, “What if he ran? If he ran and Erwin gets to him first, he’ll probably be killed. Or something worse.”

 

“What’s worse than being dead?” Oluo asked.

 

“I’m sure Erwin can think of something.”

 

“With Levi not here, I’m in charge of Special Ops and I’m making an executive decision to go to the Commander.”

 

“Oluo!” Petra snapped. “If one of us went missing, don’t you think Levi would look for us without going to Erwin?”

 

“I’m sorry, Petra,” he said lowering his head. “I don’t have a choice.”

 

Oluo raised his fist to bang on the door. Petra grabbed it and twisted it upward. She thrust the heel of her hand into his elbow, snapping it. Just before Oluo let out a scream, she swung her elbow and it landed clean across his temple, knocking him out. Eld and Gunther looked at each other in disbelief as Petra caught the limp body.

 

“Help me get him up the stairs,” she demanded.

 

The two obliged. The three dashed up the staircase and out the back door of the tavern leading into the alleyway.

 

“Where are we taking him?” Gunther asked, panic rising in his voice.

 

“Yeah, Petra,” Eld added, flatly. “What’s the plan?”

 

“Let’s take him back to Levi’s. We can brainstorm there for next steps.”

 

“What about his arm?”

 

Petra thought for a second. “I’ll put it in a sling. When we get to Levi’s, Gunther, you go to Dr. Hanji’s clinic and bring her to Levi’s and she’ll look at him.”

 

“What the hell were you thinking?” Gunther pressed.

 

“Levi’s gone through enough shit in his life. He doesn’t need Erwin fucking with him anymore if we can help it. And maybe I knocked some fucking sense into this asshole, but that’s a long shot.”

 

The three carried Oluo’s unconscious body back to Levi’s apartment through the back alleyways as another wave of thunderstorms rolled in over Shiganshina City.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, conflict. Chapter 5 to come soon! Thanks for reading! :)


	5. Vanilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren faces the public for the first time after his parents' death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay...computer issues >_

Eren stood in front of the mirror in his room. He wrung his hands and smoothed the blazer of his black suit. The last time he had to wear a suit was when the family visited the royal family of the neighboring country for diplomatic relations. But that was years ago. The clouds were parting and the sun peeked through after the second wave of thunderstorms drenched everything in the city and on the palace grounds. It was almost five in the afternoon and, since the sun was coming out and rain no longer a threat, Armin, Mikasa, and he decided, along with the excruciating assistance of General Pixis, that a press conference should be held in order to get some semblance of the current situation that was gripping the Jaeger family – or what was left of it.

 

Eren reached over to his bed and picked up his silk necktie. He sighed and looked at himself in the mirror and attempted to tie it. Attempt number one resulted in a tangled, knotted mess that resembled tied shoelaces. Attempt number two was closer to the desired result, but far too long. _Ugh,_ he thought, _you’d think a father would teach_ this _to his son._

 

“Armin!” he called, poking his head out of his room. There was no answer. The halls were practically empty as all of the service staff were out preparing the grounds for the press. “Armin?” He walked out of his room, bare feet against the cold marble floor. He peered into each room as he passed, looking for a sign of his friend. Each room was as barren as the one before until he reached the second to last. He knocked on the closed door.

 

“Come in,” Levi answered.

 

“Oh! Uh, I’m sorry. I-I was looking for Armin,” Eren stuttered.

 

Levi swung the door open. He was shirtless with his pants barely hanging onto his hips, exposing his toned abdomen and torso. “Is there something _I_ can help you with?”

 

“I-I was, um – ”

 

“Well? Spit it out!”

 

Eren showed Levi the tie. The man laughed, hand covering his mouth. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, right? Come here, you idiot,” he said, tugging Eren by the tie into the room. He stood him right at the foot of the bed. “Look…”

 

Eren looked down at Levi deftly tying his necktie. His hands were just as graceful as they were on the piano earlier. “Uh, Levi?”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“W-Why did you kiss me this morning?”

 

Levi stayed silent as he finished tying. He yanked the knot just below Eren’s Adam’s apple. “To be honest,” he said as he ran his hand down the length of the tie, “I don’t know.”

 

“Oh, um, okay.”

 

“But, Eren?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Levi looked into Eren’s green eyes and, seeing his reflection, quickly looked away. He sighed. “Nothing. Good luck out there.”

 

“Uh, thanks. And Levi?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Eren gently kissed Levi’s cheek. Blood rushed into Levi’s face, as he grew red. Eren smiled softly. “Thank you,” he said. “Thanks for coming here and helping us.”

 

Levi shifted. “Yeah, no problem. Go. You’ll be late.”

 

“See you later, Levi.”

 

“See you,” he replied as Eren left the room.

 

Levi walked over and clicked the door shut behind him He leaned against it and buried his face in his hands. He ran a finger over the spot where Eren pressed his lips. A small grin formed in the corners of his mouth. He yanked his shirt off of the chair and began to button it up. He walked over to the bed and flopped down face first into the pillows.

 

Another knock on the door. “Come in,” Levi said, muffled by the pillow.

 

He heard heavy footsteps and suddenly he was yanked up and pinned against the wall.

 

“What’re you playing at?” Mikasa demanded.

 

“What’re you talking about?” Levi hissed back.

 

“You may have Eren fooled into thinking you’re a nice guy, but I’m not as easily convinced. What’s to stop me from silencing you?”

 

Levi stared into Mikasa’s dark eyes. In a calm, flat tone, he said, “Because if you do anything to me, you’ll be back at square one. Face it, Ackerman, I’m your only lead.”

 

Mikasa held her arm against Levi’s chest. _Damn,_ he thought, _she’s strong as hell._ After a moment, she let him go. “But,” Mikasa added, “if you do anything to hurt Eren _or_ Armin, I don’t care _what_ you are. You’ll be finished.”

 

Levi raised his brow. “Understood. I have no intention of hurting either of them.”

 

Mikasa paced the room. “What were you doing before you came into the palace with Armin?”

 

“Walking on the street?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I needed air?”

 

“That early in the morning? Most people are asleep.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t sleep too well. Panic attacks.”

 

Mikasa looked at him skeptically. She noticed the top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing the top portion of his brand.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Hiding things doesn’t help your cause, Levi.”

 

Levi heaved a sigh and undid his shirt enough to expose the entire emblem of the Wings of Freedom.

 

“I fucking knew it,” she said, brandishing her knife.

 

“I got it when I wanted out,” Levi said, repeating the lie he told Eren earlier. “They did it so no one else’d take me.”

 

Mikasa stood motionless for a split second before lowering her weapon. “If you’re going to help us, you’re going to stay with us. This room’ll be yours,” she said flatly. “Guards _will_ be patrolling the grounds, so if you try anything, and I mean _anything_ , you’re going to answer to me. I don’t care what Eren thinks of you. If I think you’re a threat, I’m going to eliminate you.” She turned on her heels and slammed the door behind her.

 

_I have no intention of hurting either of them..._

_Do I really believe that right now?_

***

 

Eren and Armin stood just inside the front doors of the palace. They could hear the chatter of reporters.

 

“You ready?”

 

Eren gulped. “Yeah.” His palms started to sweat as his pulse quickened. He tried to take a deep breath.

 

“Hey,” Armin said, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We don’t have to do this today. We can wait until tomorrow.”

 

Eren relaxed. “No, it’s okay. Just come out there with me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Eren smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

 

Armin nodded to the guards who pushed open the doors to the palace. A sudden clamor of voices – questions, accusations, and rumors – bombarded the two as they made their way to a mahogany podium perched at the top step of the walkway. Eren approached the stand and motioned for the crowd to be silent. He glanced left and right and saw Marco and Jean standing on either side of him. Marco gave him a shy nod and Jean a thumbs up. Eren cleared his throat.

 

“G-Good evening, everyone. My name is,” Eren paused and looked back at Armin. Smiled and urged him on. “My name is Eren Jaeger, son of the late King Grisha and Queen Carla. I was the crown prince of Shiganshina until today. Today I have assumed the throne and I now sit as your new king. It is my honor to follow in the footsteps of my father. I know that even now he is with me, right by my side, helping me lead his people.”

 

The crowd was silent for a moment. “Do you know who killed the king and queen?” someone shouted.

 

“We aren’t ready to discuss that matter yet. We have, um, we have leads that we’re investigating.”

 

“Do you suspect the Wings of Freedom had anything to do with this?”

 

Eren gulped and thought of Levi. He looked at Armin. “Th-The Wings of-of Freedom are a, um – ”

 

“The Wings of Freedom are a myth,” Armin interrupted. “We’re pursuing several different leads but rest assured, the Wings of Freedom are not responsible and are not a threat to the livelihood of Shiganshina and its capital city.”

 

“Who are you?” another reporter shouted.

 

“Me? I’m, uh – ”

 

“This is Armin Arlert,” Eren proudly declared. “He is the newest member of the intelligence corps and one of my closest advisors.” Armin turned pink as Eren rested his hand on his shoulder.

 

“What are your plans to keep the city safe from the Wings of Freedom?”

 

“As Armin said, the Wings are not a threat. We will keep police on the streets and advise citizens to remain alerted to suspicious figures and stay indoors after dark.”

 

“When are the funeral plans for the King and Queen?”

 

“The funeral?” Eren hadn’t thought about the funeral all day. “The funeral will be held one week from today. That’ll be all. Thank you.”

 

Eren and Armin turned on their heels and sped into the palace, Jean and Marco following them in, shutting the doors behind them. Eren let out a heavy sigh and wiped sweat from his brow. “Great job, Your Majesty!” Marco exclaimed.

 

“Yeah,” Jean added. “You’re better than I thought you’d be.”

 

“Are you kidding?” Eren said. “That was awful.”

 

“Not really,” Armin chimed.

 

“Of course not for you, Mister Intelligence Corps,” Eren said, smiling.

 

“Nice surprise. Did you really mean it?”

 

“Of course, Armin. You’re the smartest guy I know. I need you to be on the corps and by my side here in the palace.”

 

“You got it!”

 

"Should it've been longer?" Eren worried, looking back at the door.

 

"Could've been. But don't worry about it now. They needed to see your face and that's what matters," Armin said.

 

“Regardless,” Eren said peeling off his blazer, “I don’t think that went that great.”

 

“It wasn’t the greatest, but you’ll get better at them,” Armin reassured. “What’s important is that the Wings of Freedom’ll think that we don’t suspect them. They’ll end up doing something stupid to prove themselves and make a mistake. That’s what we need.”

 

“We want them to do something?” Marco asked.

 

“Yeah,” Armin affirmed. “Do you guys mind if Eren and I have alone time?”

 

“Sure, thing,” Jean said. “Come on, Marco.” The two walked out the front door to guide the press out. Marco clicked the door shut. Eren and Armin stood in the spacious foyer alone and silent.

 

“You did good, Eren.”

 

Eren sighed. “I guess.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.

 

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”

 

“It’s just…I don’t know. That felt so weird. It was out of body. It wasn’t me.”

 

“Whenever you do something political, you’re never yourself. You have to separate that from who you really are. It sucks, but it’s what you have to do.”

 

“I guess. Just do me a favor?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Make sure the real me doesn’t get lost in all this?”

 

“Of course. Let’s get something to eat.”

 

***

 

Eren gently pushed the door to his room open. The setting sun poured in a golden light that cloaked the floor, bed, and bureau, reflecting off of the gilded trim. The room looked like it was on fire. He tossed his blazer onto a chair and began to undo his tie. Just before he completely unfastened the knot, he slipped it over his head and left it tied. He didn’t want to mess up Levi’s handiwork. _Although…_. He picked the tie back up and untied the knot, resting the silk accessory on the bureau. He remembered Levi tying it and his faint scent. _He smelled like vanilla,_ Eren thought as he undressed, donning his pajamas. It had been the longest day of his life and all he wanted was to sleep. He threw himself onto the bed and let himself drift off…

 

***

 

_“Eren!” Carla called, an innocent sing-song voice that wafted across the courtyard. “Where are you? Come out, come out wherever you are!”_

_Eight-year-old Eren scurried out towards the backwoods and into the shelter of his favorite weeping willow. He nestled into the tree hole and sunk into the damp wood. He picked up a stone he brought with him and carved, in a youthful, squiggly print, “E-r-e-n l-o-v-e-s M-o-m-m-y” punctuated with a smiley face. He heard her voice get closer. “Eren! Eren!”_

_Slowly, her voice turned from innocence to fear. “Eren? Eren?!” This tone was unfamiliar to the younger boy. Suddenly, he saw his mother burst through the low-hanging boughs and race to the tree hole. “Eren! Eren, help me. Help me, Eren!” She squeezed his hands tight._

_“Mommy? Mommy, you’re hurting me!” he whimpered. “Mommy?” He looked up and noticed that his mother’s face was pale as life drained from it. He saw a gash forming along her throat as blood poured down. “Mommy!”_

_***_

 

It was eleven at night and Levi found himself staring at the ceiling again. He left his opium back at his apartment, so he was on his own this time. _Goddammit, Levi. This is what happens when you don’t plan._ He threw the blankets off and flung the curtains open. The moonlight cloaked the room in silver, giving the crimson walls an unearthly glow. He   ran his fingers along his brand and followed his scars to his scattered track marks. There weren't many, but he worried that he may soon have quite a collection. He threw the white shirt over him, leaving it unbuttoned. The cotton provided a little warmth, but not nearly enough. He slowly moved to the door and gently pulled it open. Poking his head out, he scanned the hall and found no sign of movement. He slipped out of his room and pulled the door until it clicked shut. He wandered down the hall slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. The eerily silent palace left everything to the imagination. Every few moments, something would creak, water would drip, causing Levi to stop in his tracks and survey his surroundings. He peered over the railing and saw the steady pacing of guards, gliding silently along the marble.  _Christ, no wonder it took them so long to get the job done,_ he thought, recalling the events almost twenty four hours ago. A few doors down he heard an awful mix of panting and sobbing. Levi strode to the door and realized it was Eren. _What the...?_ He pushed the door open just as Eren jolted up and began violently wheezing and coughing.

 

“Eren?”

 

He slowly walked to the bed. “Eren. Hey, Eren, it’s me. It’s Levi.” Approaching him, he reached out his hand and touched the boy’s. Eren’s free hand gripped his tightening chest and squeezed at his nightshirt. Levi climbed onto the bed and took Eren’s other hand, placing them around his neck. Levi wrapped his arms around him. He pulled him close and held him tightly, rubbing his back. “Sh, sh, shh….It’s okay, it’s okay. You're safe now," he whispered into the boy's ear. He felt Eren's breathing slow and his heartbeat no longer pounding through his chest. Eren looked up at him.

 

"Wh-what're you - "

 

"I heard you in the hallway," he interrupted. "Try not to speak. Focus on breathing deeply and steadily. It sucks having them wake you up."

 

Eren pointed to his bureau drawer. "Can you get the notebook in the middle?"

 

"Why?"

 

"I've gotta write down when I have these."

 

"Later. Right now you need to relax," Levi stood up and opened to window. "Fresh air'll help. How often do you have these?"

 

Eren took a deep breath. He'd never really spoken to anyone about his attacks because, frankly, he didn't think anyone needed to know. Even so, he felt significantly more relaxed now that Levi was there. "I had my first almost three years ago."

 

"When do you get them?"

 

"Usually when I have a nightmare or when I get extremely stressed, my heart starts pounding and my chest tightens. I can - I can usually stop it, but this one was pretty bad."

 

"Yeah," Levi said, turning to Eren.

 

He looked at the man standing in the moonlight. His hair was a little messy and he was disheveled. His open shirt fluttered in the midnight breeze and his scent wafted towards Eren. _Vanilla...._ It struck Eren as odd that a man who seemed so stoic and emotionless would have such a sweet scent to him. Regardless, the aroma formed an unconscious smile on Eren's face.

 

"What're you smiling about?" Levi asked.

 

"N-Nothing. Just, um, you smell like vanilla."

 

Levi turned a light pink, unnoticed by Eren in the darkness. "Oh, uh, okay. I don't know why. I don't have my things with me. I guess it just lingered."

 

"Okay."

 

The two sat in dark silence for what seemed like years. Eren shifted beneath the blanket and hugged his legs, resting his chin on his knees. Levi pulled the chair from corner of the room, spun it on its legs and straddled it, leaning on the backrest.

 

"What is it?" Levi prodded.

 

"Hm? Oh, nothing. It's just weird being in the palace without my parents here. I mean it's not like they haven't gone away without us, it's just I know they're not around and it's unsettling." He flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

 

"Well, it's your show now, kid. You're calling the shots."

 

"But what if I do something wrong? What if I mess up?"

 

"I learned a long time ago that the only thing we're allowed to do is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made. You have to believe in what you're doing. If you don't believe that it's right then why do it?"

 

Eren sat up again. "I guess you're right." He paused. "Do you have any regrets, Levi?"

 

Levi was taken aback by the question. _Do I have regrets?_ He thought about it for a few minutes, racking his brain through the years of mistreatment and abuse - thinking all he had to do was make a couple different choices and he wouldn't be where he is now. _But would I really rather be anywhere else now?_ He looked at Eren and his bright green eyes that seemed to penetrate the darkness - that seemed to look deep within Levi, to parts that no one has ever cared to look before. He stood up and sat next to Eren on the bed.

 

"I guess," he began, "if I had one regret," he swallowed hard, "it'd be that I kissed you so suddenly."

 

Eren turned red and felt his palms start to sweat. "Wh-why?" He heard his heartbeat in his ears again.

 

Levi moved closer to Eren so that their shoulders were touching. "Because," Levi breathed, turning his head to face him, "I wish that I could've kissed you for real. Not just some peck on the mouth."

 

Eren shifted so that he was facing Levi as well. He felt his face get hot _._ "I, um, I kinda was wishing the, uh, the same thing..."

 

He leaned closer to Levi's face and looked into his eyes, the steel gray had a tinge of warmth to them for a split second before both of their eyes closed. Levi leaned all the way in and pressed his lips to Eren's, who returned the kiss this time. Levi relished in the taste of him and sunk deeper into it. Eren pulled his hands out of the blankets and cupped Levi's cheek.

 

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren's waist and pulled him as close to him as he could. He held the boy tight and let a smile escape his lips. Eren started to giggle as well.

 

"What?" Levi said, breaking the kiss.

 

"Nothing," Eren smiled. "You were smiling and I felt it. It's cute," he said, blushing. He locked eyes with him. "Levi?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Will you...will you stay with me tonight?"

 

Levi's eyes softened and he took Eren's hand. "Sure," Levi agreed, sliding under the blankets. Eren nestled himself just under his arm and quickly fell asleep. Levi followed soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be traveling over the next couple weeks, but I'll be working on the next chapters! Not sure when I'll be posting, but hopefully soon :) 
> 
> Comments and feedback are appreciated! So is sharing :3


	6. The Special Operations Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Specials Ops Squad decides that it's time to go after Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient, guys. I just got back and my computer's finally working normally again!
> 
> Got some heavy stuff happening here...hope you enjoy!
> 
> tw: rape, abuse, blood, panic attack, self-harm reference

"Ugh, my head," Oluo groaned as he propped himself up on the cot in Levi's apartment. A sharp pain radiated through his arm. "Goddammit!"

 

"Well, look who's finally awake," Petra sneered, disgusted with him. "Your arm is broken and should be back to normal in a few weeks. Dr. Hanji said to keep it in the sling."

 

Oluo glared at the petite blonde. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

 

"Because we could find Levi on our own. If we told the Commander that he was missing, he'd punish him. I know what Erwin is capable of."

 

"And you think I don't?" Oluo attempted to prop himself up again. He grimaced as he slid up against the wooden headboard. "Ah - !" Gunther helped him straighten out. "Look, Petra. I wasn't going to say anything that was going to imply that Levi was acting against the Wings of Freedom."

 

Petra shot him a skeptical look. "You weren't?"

 

"No!" he retorted. "What do I really have to gain from getting him in deep shit?"

 

"Head of Special Ops?" Eld quipped.

 

"At what cost?" Oluo snapped back. "The man saved my life on multiple occasions. I'm in his debt. Even Erwin knows that. He'd never officially give me that title. Besides," he added, glancing out the ajar window, "I probably wouldn't be able to handle it." He pulled his cravat out of his shirt and tossed it aside.

 

"What do you mean?" Petra asked. "You were doing a great job before Levi came in."

 

"But that was basic shit. Simple intelligence gathering. Petty theft. When Levi started, that's when everything got real. That's when the Special Operations Squad actually gained some respect. If I had to run the squad now with the missions we're tasked with...I don't know - no, I _know_ I wouldn't be able to handle it."

 

Eld leaned against the closed door and crossed his arms. "Then what _were_ you going to tell the Commander?"

 

Oluo looked at the three of them. "I was going to tell him that he got caught by the royal guard and they were holding his captive in the palace."

 

"Why the palace?" Petra wondered aloud.

 

"Why not?" Oluo answered. "There's dungeons underground from years ago where they could keep him. And he'd be a prisoner of the royal family rather than the state."

 

"But we all got out of there. Erwin saw us at the tavern. He wouldn't buy it," Gunther interjected.

 

Oluo sat silent for a moment. He sighed, "I guess you're right. I didn't really think that one through."

 

"Yeah, dumbass," Petra said smacking him upside the head. "If Erwin caught onto you lying, we'd all be in for a world of hurt." She stood up and started to pace the apartment. The sun had just set and it was getting dark quickly. "Where do you think Levi would've gone? He definitely left here voluntarily. There aren't signs of a struggle."

 

"Do you think he went to Erwin?" Eld asked.

 

"No," Oluo said. "We'd've seen him by now. The fact that he's been gone for this long without any contact means that he doesn't want to be found right now."

 

"Guys," Gunther began, "remember where Levi was before he joined the Wings of Freedom?"

 

"Yeah," Eld answered, "victim of a trafficking ring that he singlehandedly dismantled, right?"

 

"If he was able to take that down, that would require lots of deception, am I right?" Petra continued, following Gunther's train of thought.

 

"Yeah..." Eld followed. "You don't think - "

 

"He _would_ be safest there if he could lie his way through," Petra explained.

 

"What? What're you talking about?" Oluo implored.

 

"But what would he have to gain from hiding out there?" Eld queried.

 

Petra returned to her seat. "I don't know. He must've done it for a good reason, but your guess is as good as mine. The thing is, if we're right and he's in there, he can't get caught in a lie. He'd be done for."

 

"I hope you're not suggesting we go in after him," Gunther sighed. "We're lucky we got out of there last time."

 

"Will someone please tell me what the fuck you're talking about?" Oluo begged.

 

"You're staying here tonight," Petra decided, shoving Oluo onto his back again. "We'll see you later. Come on, guys."

 

"You better have a good strategy for this Petra," Eld warned.

 

"We'll figure it out together. It's for Levi's sake."

 

“You better not be going into the palace again! Not without me!” Oluo called out.

 

Petra, Gunther, and Eld marched out of the apartment, shutting the door behind them, leaving Oluo on the bed.

 

"Guys?"

 

***

 

_Oluo and Petra sat opposite each other in the back corner of Trost Tavern, their beers untouched. The mission had been a failure and Oluo was already preparing himself for Erwin's imminent wrath._

_"M-Maybe it won't be so bad?" Petra weakly suggested, shifting her drink._

_"The last time we ran a mission that failed, I was bedridden for a week with ten stitches up my side, remember?" he retorted. "Or do you want to see the scar?"_

_"No...." Petra sighed. "What happened anyway? I thought everything was going great."_

_"Yeah, me too. But I didn't expect there to be another gang looting the place. If they weren't there, we wouldn't've had to take them out and we probably could've gotten out in time before the cops showed up. We were so close to it...." Oluo pushed the beer away from him._

_"We'll have another shot," Petra encouraged. "I mean it was the first run with the new guy and we couldn't have expected that kind of complication. Did you see the look on Levi's face? I don't think I've seen anyone that pissed." She let out a soft chuckle._

_"What do you think Erwin's doing to him?" Oluo said, flatly._

_"He'll probably get off easy since it was his first run."_

_"I don't know. The Commander was pretty serious when he dragged him down the stairs."_

_"But that's not fair!"_

_"Since when has anything Erwin's done been fair?"_

 

_"I'm goin' down there."_

_"Petra, don't," Oluo protested, seizing her wrist. "He likes you so he won't do anything. But if you storm in there now, that's all over."_

_"I don't care," she replied, yanking her wrist away. "Levi's gone through enough before in his life don't you think?"_

_Oluo sighed. "Do what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."_

 

_"Whatever," Petra shot, rising. She took a swig of her now-warm beer and placed it back on the table before turning and walking to the back door. "Last chance, Oluo. You comin' with?"_

_"Ugh, Petra, you're lucky I care about you."_

_"Don't be a pussy, Oluo. Let's just go."_

_The two pushed the back door open and proceeded down the dimly lit staircase until they were face-to-face with a door with the Wings of Freedom insignia emblazoned on it. Petra reached for the handle of the door and, as quietly as possible, pushed it open. The adjoining room was just as dimly lit as the staircase. "Come on," Petra whispered. The two walked across the room and pushed a second door open, revealing a pitch black, concrete staircase._

_"What the..." Oluo breathed. "Have you been down here before?"_

_"No," Petra replied, "but listen."_

_They could faintly hear creaking and muffled voices. "Hurry." Oluo grabbed one of the burning candles and followed Petra down the stairs. The voices became clearer and they could distinguish two familiar ones._

_"I thought I could trust you, Levi."_

_Petra peered through the cracked door and saw the man bound to a cot. Levi grunted and struggled against his bindings. His arms were roped to the bedpost and his ankles together. "You can, Erwin. I told you, there was another group there. We didn't expect it."_

_"That shouldn't have fazed you. In fact, you and your team should've known if you gathered intelligence properly." The Commander stopped pacing and stood at the foot of the bed. The flickering light cast an unearthly shadow on Erwin's face as a sickening look of excitement came over him._

_"What's he going to do?" Oluo whispered._

_"I have a really bad feeling about this." Petra muttered._

_Petra and Oluo watched as Erwin deftly took Levi's legs and swung them over his head. He tore a hole into the rear of his pants and set him back down. "Now," Erwin started, unbuckling his pants, exposing his hardening member, "this is what happens when you don't do your job right." He straddled Levi and forced his head into his mouth, quickly shoving the entire length without warning. "You bite me, you're dead," he said, brandishing a serrated knife. Levi stayed silent as Erwin pumped in and out of his mouth. No grunting, no whining. He was a rag doll. Petra and Oluo looked on in horror._

_"Oh god..." Petra breathed._

_"We have to stop him," Oluo growled._

_"If we interfere, we'll be sliced up," she choked._

_Erwin pulled out of Levi's mouth and grabbed his ankles again. He tore the opening of Levi_ _’_ _s pants wider, right down the seam, revealing his bare ass. A smile flashed across Erwin'_ _s face again._

_"I can't watch this," Oluo said, moving back to the stairs. "I'm out of here."_

_Petra was silent as he left her alone. Her eyes welled up watching her team member get dominated by Erwin._

_"You know how to take this, right?" Erwin hissed. Levi barely nodded, shutting his eyes tight. "_ _Look at me._ _”_ _Levi obliged. He pushed Levi's legs over his shoulders and forced himself into his ass, dry. Erwin stifled a cry that almost escaped Levi's mouth. "Shut up. No one can hear us down here. You might as well enjoy it. Besides," he said, pushing all the way in, "you know you always wanted this." Levi turned his head away from Erwin and looked toward the door. He caught Petra's eyes, pouring tears. Levi cracked a minuscule grimace, barely perceptible. His eyes told her "It's okay" before Erwin jarred his head back with a slap._

_Petra scurried up the stairs and out of the back door of the tavern before falling to the ground and throwing up._

_***_

 "Petra!" Gunther gasped. "Will you slow down a bit?"

 

The young blonde blazed through the streets, keeping a strong distance between her and the two men. _Levi, what're you doing in there?_

 

"Petra!" Eld called, catching up and grabbing her shoulder. "We don't have a plan yet. We can't just knock on the gate and ask to be let in."

 

"Yeah," Gunther said. "It's dark, too, so they'll probably have heavy security."

 

"We're still going in. I don't care if I have to dig under the fucking building."

 

"Hey." Eld took her wrist. "What's going on with you?"

 

"Nothing. We have to get Levi."

 

"It's not nothing, Petra," Gunther added. "You got real pissed real fast. You weren't like this a couple hours ago at the apartment."

 

"We need to get Levi out as fast as possible," she glanced side to side and lowered her voice, "before Erwin finds out. I don't need him getting - " she gulped. "Let's just go."

 

"No," Eld interrupted. "Don't need him getting what?"

 

"You wouldn't understand. You didn't see it."

 

"Didn't see what?"

 

Petra paused and felt her eyes well up. "What does Erwin do to you when you fuck up?"

 

"Yells a lot. And throws a couple punches at me."

 

"Yeah," Gunther chimed in, "he gave me a nice scar on my chest."

 

Petra took a deep breath. "Remember the first mission we ran with Levi? When we ran into that other gang?"

 

"Ugh," Eld groaned. "That was embarrassing."

 

"Well," Petra continued, "I heard that he had Levi down under the tavern and I thought it wasn't fair to go after a newbie like that so Oluo and me went down and found a room that was hidden, two levels down. He, um," she stuttered, swallowing hard again, "I watched Erwin rape Levi."

 

"What?" Eld seethed.

 

"No way," Gunther gaped.

 

"He showed no mercy. I could see the look on Levi’s face and afterward…I get sick just remembering how he looked when Erwin tossed him outside. And that was back then. God knows how bad it is now. Why do you think Levi makes sure that we don't fail missions? Why he cuts himself?”

 

"Jesus Christ..." Eld breathed.

 

“He cuts himself?” Gunther asked, dumbfounded. “Why?”

 

“Probably because pain’s all he knows,” Petra explained. “He finds comfort in it.”

 

“We can’t let that continue,” Eld said. “What’re we going to do when we get him? We can’t take him back to Erwin. He’s already probably wondering where the fuck he is, so we better hurry."

 

"I told you!" Petra growled. "Let's just fucking go and get him first."

 

***

 

_Petra sat on the ground outside the tavern, staring into the pile of her own vomit. Clouds grew dark overhead and there was a faint rumble of thunder. She heard footsteps approaching the door and moved behind the garbage cans. A strong arm thrust the door open._

_"Clean yourself up."_

_Petra watched as Erwin threw Levi onto the ground and shut the door behind him. The man was disheveled with his pants barely at his hips. He picked himself up on all fours and began sobbing uncontrollably. He started gasping for air when Petra came out from behind the cans._

_"L-Levi?"_

_He didn't react to his name as he continued to bawl. It was completely out of character from what Petra had seen before. The cool, calm, and calculating member of the Special Operations Squad had been reduced to this._

_"Levi."_

_"What?!" he bellowed, snapping his head in Petra's direction. The look on his face was alien to her. His eyes were broken and tears stained his cheeks. She saw Erwin's handprint on his temple. She moved to him, rested a hand on his shoulder, and sat next to him. "Don't touch me," he hissed. Petra retracted her hand. Levi remained on all fours and she sat next to him as the rain began to fall._

_"The rain is nice," Petra said._

_Levi didn't respond. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped. Petra looked over and watched as the water fell through his hair and his crazed expression slightly relaxed. She reached over and rested her hand on Levi's. She felt him flinch and she gripped tighter._

_Levi heaved a sigh._

_"This is what I wanted to get away from."_

_***_

"Alright, you two ready?" Petra whispered, resting against a tree in the backwoods of the palace.

 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Eld asked

 

"Yeah. We'll go in the way we came out last time. Worst-case scenario, we scale the fences and bolt into the forest. Got it?"

 

"And if we find Levi?" Gunther breathed.

 

"We bring him with us and escape to the forest. We have to get out there. Those big-ass trees will keep us concealed." The three pulled their hoods over their heads.

 

The silence was heavy and each second felt like an eternity. They felt each other breathing and the anticipation made their palms sweat and hearts race. They never thought they would be breaking into the royal palace again in such a short time. Two guards rounded the corner, out of sight and the three bolted.

 

 Petra signaled for Eld to take the left and Gunther the right. The moon was brighter than usual tonight and the sky virtually cloudless. Petra felt her heart beating in her ears. _Please be okay._

 

They rushed to the basement window where they slipped in last time, but found all of them boarded and chained shut. "Shit," Petra hissed.

 

"What now?" Gunther said, panicking.

 

"Calm down." She moved over to the plywood and pushed against it with her boot and heard it splinter.

 

"It'll make too much noise if you break it," Eld commented. "Besides, we've already been standing around too long. We have to move."

 

"There has to be another way in!"

 

"Let's get out of here and regroup. We can try again."

 

"There's no time! Erwin'll find out and then we won't be able to protect him!"

 

"Will you two shut up!" Gunther hissed. "They'll hear you!"

 

Petra threw her hands up. "Fine. Let's get out of here."

 

The three scurried to the fence. Petra began to scale the chain links. Halfway up, she turned to find Eld and Gunther, but they weren’t there. “Guys?” She looked down and saw six guards cuffing the two of them. She gasped and tried to climb the rest of the fence, but one of the guards caught her pants and pulled her down. She felt a loose piece of metal slice up her arm and warmth spill down and drip out of her sleeve. She hit the ground and blacked out.

 

***

 

Marco and Jean paced the cells of the dungeons below the palace basement, their footsteps echoing in the empty, unused space.

 

“I can’t believe we have dungeon duty tonight. No one ever comes down here anyway,” Jean whined.

 

“I know, but at least we’re together down here,” Marco smiled. “That way it’s not too boring.”

 

Jean looked at Marco and smiled deviously. “I know a way we can make this a little more interesting.”

 

“Jean…” Marco breathed between kisses on his neck. “We sh-shouldn’t. Not here.”

 

“There’s no one here,” he whispered in his ear. Jean cupped Marco’s chin and planted a tender kiss on his lips. Marco returned it and slid his tongue into Jean’s mouth.

 

The door to the dungeons crashed open and the two pushed away from each other at light speed.

 

“Who’s there?” Jean called, attempting to hide the shakiness in his voice.

 

“We found these three on the grounds trying to break in,” a guard said, leading two others. “Open up three cells.” He turned to his prisoners. “One for each of you.”

 

Eld spoke first. “Can you at least bandage her up first? She got cut bad on the fence.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll get to her.”

 

Jean and Marco exchanged a look as they unlocked the rusty cell doors.

 

“In you go,” the guard said, as his grunts unceremoniously tossed Petra, Gunther, and Eld into their respective coves. “Sweet dreams, bitches,” he shot, sauntering out of the dungeons with his grunts close behind.

 

“Well,” Jean said, “tonight just got interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be working on the next chapter as much as I can! Thanks for reading :D comments and feedback is appreciated! ^_^


	7. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi wake up together. Meanwhile, the captured Special Operations Squad remains in the dungeons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy time for Eren and Levi! And now we get some serious rising action. Thanks for being so patient! I know I haven't updated in a while >_

The night began to fade and the sky slowly lightened. Eren shifted in his sleep and nestled himself next to Levi and wrapped his arm around the man’s muscled torso. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes as he took in the faint vanilla scent of his sleeping companion. The delicate morning light cast a gentle shadow on Levi’s face, accentuating his bones and the sheen of his hair. Eren ran his hand through the locks and felt the prickly texture of the undercut. He looked down at his chest and traced the outline of his Wings of Freedom brand. He looked back at Levi’s tranquil expression. _He’s not as intimidating this way,_ Eren thought, smiling. He lightly kissed the raised skin and scars.

 

“What’re you doing, you brat?” Levi muttered, sleepily.

 

“Good morning, Levi.”

 

“Hmph. What time is it?” He asked, keeping his eyes closed.

 

“I don’t know. Probably around five. It’s barely light out.”

 

“Then why’re you even awake. Let’s just go back to sleep.”

 

“But I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

 

“And why is that?” He asked, opening his eyes. The blue light gave his steel greys a depth that Eren hadn’t seen before.

 

“B-Because I like this,” Eren confessed, resting his chin on Levi’s chest and peering into his eyes. “It’s peaceful and quiet and I’m with you s-so I feel safe.”

 

“Is that so?” he replied, shifting onto his side so that they were face to face. “Why?”

 

Eren blushed and ran his fingers through his tousled, sleep-hair. “I-I don’t know. I guess, um, that kiss and th-the piano and the tie and, uh – ”

 

“You’re an idiot,” Levi chuckled, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on Eren’s lips. The boy’s soft lips from last night were now dry and tasted of sleep. “Ew.”

 

“What? Did I do something wrong?”

 

“You taste like sleep spit.”

 

“Well, so do you.”

 

“No I don’t.”

 

“Yeah, ya do,” he teased, stealing another kiss. He lingered for a moment longer and took in the taste.

 

“Still think I do?”

 

“I need another taste.”

 

Levi let a smirk flash across his mouth as his snuck his hand across Eren’s jawline and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. He parted Eren’s lips with his tongue and slowly slipped it into his mouth. Eren did the same and the two, tongues entwined, ran their hands along each other’s torso. Levi slid his leg over Eren’s and pinned him down.

 

“L-Levi?”

 

“Want to have some fun?”

 

“Uh, what do you mean?”

 

“Shh…just trust me,” he said running his hands down Eren’s chest and cupped his bulge. “Well someone’s getting excited.”

 

“Oh, uh,” Eren cleared his throat. “Maybe.”

 

“I think that’s a definite yes,” Levi whispered brushing Eren’s ear with his lips, trailing kisses across his cheek and down his neck. He ran his finger up Eren’s hardening shaft.

 

“Ah – !”

 

Levi nibbled on his neck and sucked on it. Removing his lips, he saw his dark red mark left on Eren. “You like it when I mark you?”

 

“Y-Yeah…”

 

Eren ran his hands through Levi’s hair as Levi moved down to his chest and abdomen, leaving more bites as he reached the waistband of his pajama bottoms. Eren threw the blankets to the side so that he could watch as Levi deftly pulled the pajama pants off with his teeth. His cock twitched as Levi’s cheek brushed against the head. He shifted his legs and Levi quickly gripped his thighs and pressed him back onto the bed. He looked Eren dead in the eyes and ran his tongue along his balls and up the center of his length. Eren shuddered under Levi’s grip. The foreign sensation of a tongue on him sent a chill up his spine. His back arched as Levi took his head into his mouth and lightly sucked, licking up the dribbling pre-cum.

 

“Pre-cum?” Levi remarked.

 

Eren blushed. “I-I guess I am a little excited…Ah – ”

 

Levi took all of Eren into his mouth in one swift movement and deliberately sucked all the way up to the tip of his head. Levi felt Eren’s hands on his head, fingers gripping locks of his hair as his pelvis struggled beneath Levi’s weight. He choked out a moan.

 

“L-Levi…”

 

“Yeah?” Levi asked, using his right hand to keep him hard.

 

“Why’d you stop…?”

 

A grin formed on his lips as he took Eren back into his mouth. He was able to take Eren’s entire length down his throat. Feeling him thrusting forward, Levi repositioned himself and placed all of his weight on him, making him immobile. He continued working the boy, feeling Eren’s pulse racing with each bob up and down. Levi felt himself getting hard.

_Is this turning me on?_ He thought to himself. It’d been a while since anything remotely sexual turned him on since Erwin had started with him. _This is…this is great._ He closed his eyes and enthusiastically continued working on Eren. A small grunt of enjoyment escaped his throat as he felt him squirming beneath him.

 

“Ah, Levi…I’m getting close!” Eren panted. Beads of sweat were forming on his chest and forehead. Levi wet his finger and massaged Eren’s hole. “You like that?”

 

“Y-Yeah, oh god, I-I’m gonna cum! Levi, I’m gonna – ”

 

Levi pulled Eren’s length out of his mouth and watched as he unloaded all over his chest and abdomen. Levi smiled to himself, happy with his handiwork.

 

“There’s a lot here,” Levi commented.

 

The morning light had grown brighter, catching Eren’s electric green eyes as he looked at Levi. “ ‘S because it’s you,” he said between breaths.

 

Levi, caught by surprise, turned a light pink. “Shut up. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

 

“But what about you?” Eren said, rising and reaching for Levi’s bulge, barely held into his pants. He grabbed his hand.

 

“Another time. Besides,” he whispered, pulling him in for a kiss, “you’re dripping and messy.”

 

Eren smiled. “Okay.” He leapt off of the bed and scurried to the bathroom to prevent making a mess on the floor.

 

Levi watched as Eren disappeared into the bathroom. _He’s cute._ _Maybe it isn’t so bad here._ He moved to the window and pulled open the curtains. The mountaintops were gilded with the rising sun. Levi heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall. He pushed open the window and closed his eyes as the cool April morning air hit him with a gentle breeze. The sweat from just moments ago dried with fresh air. It chilled his lungs and the scent from early flower blossoms was calming. He was at peace. _For the first time since I was little._

 

He heard heavy footsteps outside of the door. Eren burst out of the bathroom towel in hand, torso dripping  “What’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know. They’re just – ”

 

The footsteps stopped and a fist pounded on the door. The two looked at each other. Levi spoke. “It’s _your_ room.”

 

Eren walked to the door and opened it. Three guards were outside. “Yes?”

 

“Your Majesty, we apprehended three intruders last night attempting to breach the palace. They’re currently in the dungeons and they’ve asked – ”

 

“To see me?” Eren assumed.

 

“No,” one of the guards muttered. “Him.”

 

Levi’s face dropped.

 

“Can you give us a moment?” Eren asked the guards.

 

“Of course, Your Majesty,” they obliged.

 

Eren looked over at Levi. He was turned away, staring out the window. The breeze blew his onyx locks across his forehead. Eren walked over and put his hands on the man’s waist. He kissed his neck.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What’re you thinking about?”

 

“I think I know who’s in your dungeons.”

 

Eren moved in front of Levi so that they were face to face. “What? How do you know?”

 

“Just a hunch.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

Levi took a deep breath. “Listen. I have to go down there alone, okay?”

 

“But – ”

 

“Eren, I need you to listen to me. I have to go down there alone. I’ll explain later. Can you promise me that you won’t go down?”

 

Eren was silent.

 

“Promise me.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Levi leaned forward and kissed him before walking out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

 

***

In the basement of Trost Tavern, Erwin Smith paced his dimly lit office. The room was scarcely furnished – an oak desk, covered with papers and files labeled “Assets,” “Intel,” “Jaeger,” among others. There were two chairs on either side of the desk, worn from use. There was a knock at the door.

 

“Come in.”

 

The door opened and a man of nearly sixty entered. His wrinkled face lined with years of military experience stretched into a slanted smile.

 

“Good to see you again, General Pixis,” Erwin said, extending his hand. Pixis took the invitation and shook it. “What brings you here so early this morning?”

“I have a question for you, Erwin.”

 

“Of course. Sit, sit,” the Commander offered the chair to Pixis who refused.

 

“Where is your Lance Corporal? Levi?”

 

“In his apartment. Why?”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Erwin leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “Yes.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I have a total of four members of your Special Operations Squad in the royal palace right now. Three in the dungeons and your Lance Corporal waltzing around the fucking palace with the king! What the _hell_ is going on here? We had an agreement!”

 

Erwin stood up and locked the door.

 

“I’m going to be transparent with you, General. I had no part in this.”

 

“You’re telling me your squad went rogue.”

 

“That’s the only explanation I have for you. I haven’t seen Levi and the squad since the night of the assassination.”

 

“What does this mean for us?” Pixis demanded.

 

“General,” Erwin started, “nothing is compromised. We’re the only ones who know of our intentions. The elimination of the royal family is still in progress. There are a couple things that need to fall into place before we make the final strike.”

 

“It better be. I gave you the king and queen,” Pixis muttered reaching for his flask.

 

“The public isn’t happy with the answers they got from the kid’s press conference. We need to get his credibility in the shitter so when he’s gone, no one’ll care. If it happens too soon, they’ll rally for his sister or one of his friends to take the throne.”

 

“Okay then,” Pixis said, taking a swig of wine. “But tell me, what are we doing about your squad?”

 

***

 

_A seven-year-old Erwin sat at the dinner table with his parents at either end. His short blond hair was a tousled mess from playing outside all day. He held his fork and knife in his hand and eagerly waited for a plate of food._

_“Erwin,” his mother sang, “I know you don’t expect food when you’re still all dirty!”_

_“But, Mommy, I’m hungry!” he whined._

_“Listen to your mother, son,” his father remarked._

_“Okay….” The boy stood and ran to the bathroom to wash and closed the door. Darkness was quickly enveloping the neighborhood and Erwin watched as the sky rapidly changed from a fiery red to a cool, navy blue. He ran his hands under the warm water and fixed his hair, cleaning out the dirt. He moved over to the toilet and climbed on top so that he could watch the stars dot the sky as it got darker. He traced the emerging constellations with his fingers. A crash and yelling from the kitchen shook him from reverie._

_“Dad? Mom?” he whispered to himself, moving to the door._

 

_“Don’t move!” he heard a gruff, unfamiliar voice command._

_“What do you want?” his father spat._

_“What do you know about the Wings of Freedom?”_

_“They don’t exist,” his father deadpanned._

_“Is that so? Then why is their emblem on your wall?” Erwin remembered the blue and white wings that were framed on the living room wall. He had asked what it was, but was dismissed._

_“It’s a piece of art. Any relation is – ”_

_Erwin heard a sickening crack as a soldier struck his father across the face. He pushed the door open to see what was going on. Three men in all black, brandishing shotguns had tied up his parents. His father’s nose was bleeding. He kept quiet._

_“Tell us now. Or neither of you will live past tonight.”_

_“We don’t know anything!” His mom cried. “Just leave us!”_

_“We can’t do that. We’re under a royal order by the King of Shinganshina.”_

_“What on Earth are you doing here then? You have no jurisdiction outside of your country!”_

_The man aimed his gun at Erwin’s father and a second man aimed his at his mother._

_“We’ll ask you one more time,” he said, preparing for a shot. “What do you know about the Wings of Freedom?”_

_“We know nothing.”_

_“So be it.”_

_The two men fired, killing Erwin’s parents instantly. A horrified Erwin shut the bathroom door and climbed out of the window. Landing on the cold ground, he scurried behind a nearby shed and ducked behind a shrub. He closed his eyes and let silent tears fall as he saw the shadows escape into the woods. Those would be the last tears Erwin shed._

_***_

Levi descended the stairs behind the guards in silence.

 

 _I better not be right_.

 

***

 

Eren shoved his head into his pillow and let out a groan. It still smelled like Levi and he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of excitement in his gut. The excitement, however, quickly turned to worry.

 

_Who’s in the dungeons, anyway?_

Eren sat up.

 

“Why do they want to see Levi and not me?”

 

“Because,” Armin chimed in, entering the room, “I think they were after him. Good morning.”

 

“Morning,” Eren quickly answered. “What do you mean? Who are they?”

 

“I can’t say for sure. I wasn’t down there. But I have a hunch that they are, or were, friends of his. For a prisoner of the royal family to ask for someone other than the king is unheard of.”

 

“And you’re sure of this?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

Eren paused for a moment.

 

“Where’s Mikasa?”

 

“On assignment from General Pixis. He sent a message to investigate a potential drug ring in the countryside.”

 

“When?”

 

“Not long ago. Maybe an hour or so?”

 

“She didn’t say bye or anything.”

 

“It looked pretty urgent to me. Maybe she didn’t have time.”

 

Eren looked at Armin. He seemed distant, lost in thought. The breeze from the open window brushed his golden locks across his face. Eren rested his hand on Armin’s shoulder.

 

“Armin,” he began. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Oh, nothing.”

 

“Doesn’t seem like nothing. I can tell when you’re worried.”

 

“I just don’t want _you_ getting worried.”

 

“I think that ship’s sailed,” Eren said, chuckling. Armin cracked a smile. “What’re you thinking?”

 

“I don’t know,” Armin started, rising. “It just seems off. Such an early assignment from Pixis for Mikasa the morning after three people attempt to break into the palace again? And since when does Pixis give Mikasa assignments? He’s not police, he’s military.”

 

“Keep going.”

 

“And why Levi? What do they have to do with him?”

 

Eren thought back to the brand on Levi’s chest.

 

“The Wings…”

 

“You don’t think,” Armin warned.

 

“Levi has a brand of the Wings of Freedom on his chest. He told me it was from when he left so that no one would take him. What if – ”

 

“The other members were going after him?”

 

“Who else would have the balls to go at the palace twice in less than a week?”

 

“We have to get to the dungeons. Now.”

 

“But – ”

 

“ _Now._ ”

 

Eren thought back to the promise he made to Levi not long before. He sighed and followed Armin out of his room and down to the dungeons.

 

***

 

Levi burst into the dungeons, slamming the heavy, iron door against the concrete wall.

 

“What the actual fuck are you four doing here?”

 

“Three,” Petra chimed in. “No Oluo.”

 

“Whatever. What the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Isn’t obvious,” Eld deadpanned.

 

Levi deliberately walked to Petra’s cell and motioned for her to come closer. She obliged and he whispered, “ _They don’t know it was me._ ”

 

“Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell do you mean they – ”

 

“Shut up!” Levi hissed.

 

“What’s going on?” Gunther called.

 

“Guys,” Levi asked Marco and Jean, who looked exhausted from their night of guard duty, “can we have the room, please?”

 

“We’re not supposed to – ”

 

“Fine. We’ll be right outside the door. Come on, Marco.”

 

“But – ”

 

Before Marco could protest, Jean had dragged him out the doorway and closed the door, bolting it shut.

 

“Wait – !” Before Levi could grab the handle, the door was locked and he was sealed in the room with his squad. He saw Marco and Jean right outside. _Eh, whatever._ “ ’s long as I can get out,” he muttered to himself.

 

“Now listen to me,” Levi said to the rest of them, now alone in the dungeons. “What did you tell them?”

 

“Nothing,” Eld said. “We just asked for you not too long ago.”

 

“So you didn’t mention anything about the assassination?”

 

“No,” Petra said. “But how on earth have you been able to just _stay_ here?”

 

“I told them I knew the Wings of Freedom were responsible for the murder.”

 

The three went silent. Petra’s eyes widened as Gunther and Eld began to pace their cells. The growing morning light spilled into the dungeons through the tiny windows at the very top of the wall. Levi’s stomach growled.

 

“Look, I’m starving. Can we please just drop this?”

 

“Levi,” Petra continued. “We’re prisoners of the royal family. We’re stuck in here unless we have get a royal pardon. And now that the king knows that the Wings of Freedom are responsible for everything, that’s out the goddamn window!”

 

“What the hell were you thinking, Levi?” Gunther whined.

 

“He wasn’t, obviously,” Eld shot.

 

“Everything that we worked for, all of that prep, stealth, recon, everything’s for nothing now! Erwin’s gonna – ”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Petra!” Levi bellowed. His eyes were crazed and began to leak tears. “Erwin’s the reason I fucking did this! I’m done with that asshole! You saw it. You saw what he did to me that first night.” The salty tears stung his face. “If you thought that was bad, you have no fucking _clue_ what came after that. You have no right to defend him in front of me.” The door clicked open behind him, imperceptible to the screaming Levi. “Ever since I killed the king and queen, I’ve been – ”

 

“You killed them…?”

 

Levi’s heart sunk and immediately broke into a cold sweat. He turned around and faced a pale Eren, Armin by his side, equally as pallid  


“Eren, Armin, I – ”

 

“You killed them, didn’t you,” Eren choked.

 

“Eren, I can explain – ”

 

“Sure you can,” Petra shot.

 

“Fuck off!”

 

“Jean, Marco,” Eren said, coldly, “lock Levi in the last empty cell.”

 

The two grabbed Levi by the arms. “Eren! Eren, wait! Don’t do this! Please let me explain!” Tears continued to stream down his face as he yelled for Eren who turned and walked out of the dungeons, slamming the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on Chapter 8! Been super busy with school and work, so I'm not sure when I'll update again. But it'll be soon, I promise! Thanks for continuing to read <3


	8. Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren reels from the truth he learned surrounding his parents death. Meanwhile, Mikasa learns the true nature of the mission she was assigned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! ^_^ Let me know what you think :) I love hearing from you <3
> 
> tw: violence, implied sexual abuse

Eren stormed up the stairs and climbed up to the roof of the palace. _Never play your whole hand at once_. The advice rang out in his head, as if it had just been spoken. He covered his ears and kicked the door to the top of the building open. The chilly morning air stung his eyes, misty with tears. Armin called behind him. “Eren! Eren, hang on!” He pushed through the door and hunched over, hands on his knees, catching his breath.

 

“My god, you’ve gotten fast.”

 

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Eren said, choking on his tears. Armin could hear his voice straining to keep the sobbing in. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Eren moved to the edge of the building and swung his legs over the side.

 

“Eren, be careful – ”

 

“What, it’s not like I’m gonna jump,” he snapped.

 

“Sorry.”

 

Armin paced behind him for a moment. He let out a sigh and sat next to Eren. “I better not fall.”

 

“I won’t let you, you know that,” Eren said. He paused a moment. “I’m gonna kill them all,” he hissed.

 

“What’re you talking about, Eren?”

 

“All of them down there. Levi and his fucking group. They’re dead. I don’t care. He lied to me. He faked everything. Even after we – ”

 

“After you what?”

 

Eren took a deep breath. “We spent the night together. And this morning, he kinda, um, got me off,” Eren said blushing.

 

“Oh,” Armin said, rubbing his hands on his thighs. An awkward silence fell between them. “You know, I have a theory.”

 

“If it has anything to do with letting Levi out, I don’t want to hear it.”

 

“Letting Levi or any of that squad out is your decision and yours alone. But, did you hear what he was saying to them?”

 

Eren thought for a moment. “I don’t really remember. I don’t want to think about it.”

 

“He said ‘You have no right to defend him in front of me.’ And he must’ve been screaming since I heard it through the door.”

 

“Your point?”

 

“My _point_ is that Levi isn’t the mastermind behind this.”

 

“What does it matter? He executed the plan. He’s the murderer.”

 

“Is he? Just because he acted, doesn’t mean he’s the one who’s guilty.”

 

“How’s that possible, Armin? Do you even hear yourself?” Eren seethed. “Not guilty even if he acted. What kind of shit is that?” He stood up and took a few steps away. Arms crossed, he looked up at the graying sky. “Why’s it have to rain today…”

 

“Did you ask him about his time in the Wings?”

 

“No.”

 

“Did you ask him about his brand?”

 

“Not really,” Eren spat, annoyed. He thought back to the self-inflicted scars on Levi’s arms and chest. “He had other scars. Ones he made himself.”

 

“Eren,” Armin said, “you’re going to have to talk to Levi again and find out what’s been happening to him.”

 

“I don’t care what’s fucking happened to him!”

 

“Do you?”

 

“N-No! Shut up!”

 

Armin smirked, pleased with himself. “You have feelings for him, don’t you? Like real feelings?”

 

“No. I don’t know. Maybe! What does it matter now? He obviously doesn’t feel the same way.”

 

“Are you sure he doesn’t?”

 

“He lied to me. To us. Of course he doesn’t.”

 

“Eren,” Armin sighed, “even the greatest lies have truth hidden in them.”

 

“Don’t,” Eren snapped. “Don’t defend him.”

 

Armin threw his hands up. “Okay. Whatever you say. You want me to go?”

 

Eren paused a moment. “I need a minute. But I don’t want you to go.”

 

“Then I’ll stay,” Armin said, walking over to Eren. Eren turned and pulled Armin in for a hug. He began sobbing in his friend’s shoulder. Armin returned the hug as it started to drizzle. Eren’s sobbing turned to wails as lightning flashed overhead.

 

***

 

“Son of a fucking bitch!” Levi bellowed, shaking the bars to his cell. “What the fuck is wrong with you all! I was finally happy. I was finally starting to feel like a normal human being again and it’s gone. I hope you’re all fucking happy.”

 

“Levi – ” Petra started.

 

“Don’t fucking talk to me. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” he shoved himself into the corner and slid to the ground, burying his face in his hands. He started clawing at his wrists.

 

“B-But how could you kill the king and queen, Levi?” Marco stuttered. Jean smacked his arm and shot him a look.

 

“You think I wanted to?” he whispered.

 

“What did you just say?” Petra shot.

 

“Do you really think I wanted to be a murderer?!” Levi shouted.

 

“You’ve killed before,” Eld commented.

 

“I killed for the sake of my own survival, you idiot. I never, _ever_ killed for a cause. I never assassinated anyone. I never wanted to. I didn’t sign up for this shit.” He turned away and bit his finger. Sighing, he said, “Even right after I killed them, it felt weird. Different. I didn’t think of the ones I killed before as people. They treated me like property. But these two,” he shook his head, “they were parents. The have a son and daughter. Christ, I’m a monster…”

 

“We were following orders,” Petra said, coldly. “And you knew the cause when you joined.”

 

“Yeah, why didyou even _join_ the Wings of Freedom?” Gunther grunted.

 

“I didn’t. Erwin ‘recruited’ me.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What the fuck do you think it means? He made me trust him and then he drugged me. He dragged me into that god-forsaken basement and had that shitty four-eyes doctor brand me. You really think I just waltzed into the hidden headquarters of the Wings of Freedom and said, ‘Hey, Erwin, I wanna join your fucking club, here’s my resume’? Who in their right mind would do that?”

 

The four were silent. Marco and Jean sat in their chairs and remained silent as well.

 

“Come to think of it,” Eld began, breaking the silence, “the Commander found me, too.”

 

“Yeah,” Gunther said. “Me, too.”

 

Levi looked over at Petra. She had a worried look on her face. “What is it, Petra?” he said, exasperated.

 

“I-I was recruited, too, now that I’m thinking about it,” Petra said. “I remember him saying that my skill set was something ‘they were interested in.’”

 

“That’s literally the exact phrase he said to me,” Eld added, with Gunther nodding.

 

The four went silent again. Jean looked at each of them. “Um,” he started, “can I just ask you something?”

 

“Jean, don’t,” Marco warned.

 

“I got this,” he said, shaking Marco off. “Now,” he continued, “you were all recruited by this Erwin guy, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Levi deadpanned.

 

“And he’s the one in charge, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then who’s ‘we’?”

 

***

 

Oluo sat on the bed in Levi’s apartment in silence. His arm was healing, but he wasn’t in any shape to move for an extended period of time. He groaned. “I’ve gotta get outta here.” He struggled to get himself to stand up and he stretched out his legs. “Damn, that’s good.” He took a few steps around the cramped apartment, the floor creaking beneath his boots. He looked at the door.

 

“What’s wrong with a little fresh air?”

 

He strode to the door and swung it open.

 

“Jesus Christ!” he wailed, nearly toppling over. “What the hell, lady?”

 

Hanji stood in the doorway; her dirty glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She adjusted them and pushed into the room. “Sit.”

 

Oluo obeyed.

 

“I told you to limit your movement.”

 

“I know,” Oluo gulped. “I just wanted some air is all.”

 

“Then open a window,” she replied, flatly.

 

Silence fell over the room as Hanji tended to Oluo’s arm.

 

“It’s getting there. Probably another day or so of limited movement and then you’ll be able to go out in the sling. Where’s the rest of them?”

 

Oluo looked out the window. “They didn’t tell me outright.”

 

Hanji glanced up. “What do you mean?”

 

“They went after Levi.”

 

“What do you mean ‘went after’?”

 

“They think he’s back in the palace. I don’t think so, but – ”

 

“Shut up,” Hanji snapped. She stood up, bolted the door and closed the windows and curtains. “Listen to me right now, Oluo Bozado. You need to tell me everything you know.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because,” she said, grabbing his injured arm, “your friends are not safe. And hiding things from me won’t help the situation.”

 

Oluo winced as tears formed in his eyes from the pain of Hanji’s grip. “I barely know anything!”

 

She released him.

 

“All I know is that the went to the palace to find him. I don’t know the details; they planned it when they left. I haven’t heard from them since last night.”

 

“But they definitely went to the palace?”

 

“Pretty sure, yeah.”

 

Hanji sighed.

 

“Why?” Oluo asked. “Why do you need to know this?”

 

“Erwin’s fucking _pissed_. And when he has his sights set on something, you better be damned he’ll go after it as hard as he can.”

 

Oluo glared at her. “And what’re you gonna do about it?”

 

***

 

Mikasa watched the buildings of Shinganshina City blur by as the train sped out of the central station. Seven o’clock in the morning was an easy train ride out into the country. The car was virtually empty, save a couple sitting in the front. The luggage around them and the lack of space between them indicated a honeymoon was waiting for them. Mikasa turned and faced the window and curled up into the corner of the seat and clutched her scarf before drifting off…

 

_Nine-year-old Mikasa Ackerman sat in the corner of a basement, somewhere in Shiganshina City. She scratched her head where her blindfold was tied. Shaking and cold, she squeezed her knees to her body and looked around. Light poured in from small windows above her. She tried to stand up and reach them, but her knees gave out from being bound. Heavy footsteps and muffled voices could be heard above her._

_“Is she…last Asian…city?” a deep stoic voice said. She could barely make out what he was saying but his tone filled in the blanks._

_“We could…money…killing on her.”_

_“Who…buying her?”_

_The realization that no one was coming for her was slowly sinking in. She could feel tears welling up behind her eyes and her hands start shaking. The door flew open._

_“Hey there, precious,” a greasy, gray haired man hissed, snaking his way to her. He reached his hand out to touch her hair and Mikasa slapped it away. He immediately smacked her across the face, grabbed her shirt and pulled her close to his face. He smelled like sour beer. “You better behave, sweetheart,” he seethed. “If not, we’ll have to punish you.” He dropped her to the floor and strolled out of the room._

***

The train horn jarred Mikasa awake. The couple in the front of the train was gone and the car was completely empty. She stood up and paced up and down the car, shaking the memories from her head. Rewrapping her scarf, she flopped back down onto her seat and cracked the window open. The scent of the countryside wafted into the car and lulled her back to sleep.

 

***

 

_It was about sunset. She had been in this basement for almost eight hours. No food. No water. No bathroom. She was filthy and tired, but she wouldn’t dare go to sleep with those men upstairs. Although, it was quiet now. She stood up with all of her strength and listened at the door. Nothing. She moved back to the windowed wall and jumped to bang on it, hoping to get someone’s attention. Footsteps passed and no one took notice. No one, that is, until another nine-year-old boy with piercing green eyes looked in. He motioned for her to get back and shattered the window._

_“Are you okay?”_

_Mikasa shook her head._

_“What’s your name?”_

_“M-Mikasa.”_

_“Come on, give me your hand and I’ll pull you up!”_

_“I-I can’t, they’ll hear.”_

_“Who’s they?”_

_She looked back at the door and a tear rolled down her face._

_“What’d they do to you?”_

_“M-My parents. They-They killed them…”_

_“Hey,”_

_She started sniffling._

_“Hey! Stop crying. We’re going to get you out, but you have to fight. I’m going to come down there. If I do, you have to promise me you’re going to fight. Promise?”_

_Mikasa looked down._

_“Promise?”_

_“Y-Yeah, I’ll fight. But what’re you going to do?”_

_“WE’RE going to get back at them,” Eren said, ripping a big shard of glass from the window frame and jumped down into the basement._

_“Does the door open in or out?”_

_“Out.”_

_“We’re gonna ram it together. Ready?”_

_Mikasa nodded hesistantly._

_“One, two, three, go!” The two ran at the door and proceeded to ricochet back onto the floor. “Fuck!”_

_They heard heavy footsteps rush to the door. The greasy, gray-haired man flung the door open and stopped at the sight of the two._

_“Ohoho! It’s like you multiplied! Who have we here?” The man leaned in, merely an inch from Eren’s face. Eren growled and slashed his across the face with the glass._

_“You little shit!” he bellowed._

_“Shut up, you idiot! The window!” his partner hissed._

_The first slammed Eren’s wrist onto the floor, causing him to let go of the glass. “Go get the cuffs,” he ordered his partner._

_“On it, boss,” he replied, leaving the room._

_“I don’t care what you’d get me, I’m gonna kill you right here, right now,” he hissed, tightening the scarf around Eren’s throat._

***

It was about noon when Mikasa got off of the train in the Shinganshina countryside to an empty platform, nearly three hours from the city. Her red scarf fluttered in the light breeze that wafted the scent of crocuses growing in the nearby fields. It was eerily quiet, the only sound coming from the creaking sign that was ominously dangling from the platform.

 

“Pixis said they’d be waiting here,” Mikasa muttered to herself. She took a couple steps to the station door when it swung open from the inside.

 

“Mikasa Ackerman?” a blonde woman asked, standing in the doorway.

 

“Yes?”

 

“General Pixis said you’d be here. I’m Officer Leonhardt. Annie Leonhardt.”

 

“He never mentioned you. I’m supposed to meet recruits here,” she explained, growing wary of the mysterious introduction.

 

“Yes, I’m going to take you to them. We’ve already started constructing a sting operation on the drug ring and we need your support to make the final strike.”

 

“Where’s the base of operations?”

 

“Not far from here. Follow me, please.” Annie breezed past Mikasa and descended the stairs onto a dirt pathway that led through a small field and into the nearby woods. Mikasa followed the shorter girl down the path, keeping an arm-length distance between them. The silence of the countryside was deafening. Mikasa, although she had been out into the country more than Eren, the sounds of the capital were her baseline. Every rustle in the grass caught Mikasa’s eye. She though about Eren and Armin back at the palace. _I hope their holding up okay._ She felt a twinge of regret thinking about how she didn’t properly say bye to them.

 

Annie led Mikasa into the woods ahead. The thick canopy overhead blocked out most of the sunlight, casting a dark shadow throughout a majority of the forest, and it got thicker the further they progressed. Slowly, the rustles in the grass stopped and dead silence fell around the two who continued to walk steadily inward.

 

“Are we almost there?” Mikasa said, her hand moving to her blade. She gripped it tightly.

 

Annie remained silent.

 

“Officer. Are we almost there?”

 

Silence. Annie stopped and turned to face Mikasa.

 

“We’re here.”

 

“What?”

 

In a split second, Mikasa felt something hard smack her head and she fell to the ground.

 

***

 

_“M-Mikasa!” Eren choked._

_Mikasa looked on in terror. She saw the piece of glass on the floor and picked it up._

_“M-Mikasa! You have t-to fight! If you don’t fight, you c-can never win!”_

_Mikasa’s hands stopped shaking and her eyes trained on her target. She rushed forward and drove the glass deep into the man’s neck. He dropped to the floor, dead. She dragged Eren out from under the man as they both ran out of the room. They stumbled into a dilapidated kitchen as the partner turned into the room._

_“What the – ?”_

_Eren quickly grabbed a knife from the counter and sunk it into the partner’s gut. The man lurched forward and fell to the ground with a thud._

_“Come on!”_

_The two ran out the front door and sped toward the palace. When they were far enough away, they stopped to catch their breath._

_“I’m Eren, by the way.”_

_Mikasa threw her arms around him and held him tightly. Eren returned the hug._

_“Here,” he said, unwrapping his scarf. “Keep this. It’ll be a sign that we’re friends now, okay?”_

_Mikasa let out a relieved sigh as Eren wrapped his scarf around her neck._

 

***

 

Mikasa’s vision slowly came into focus. She saw Annie talking with two other men.

 

“Pixis said that she needed to be alive,” she said.

 

“I know,” the blond man said, “but Erwin wants the threat eliminated.”

 

“Reiner,” the third, tall man said. “She’s subdued and bound. She’s not going anywhere.”

 

“Thanks, Bertholdt,” Annie said. “Keep talkin’ sense into your friend.”

 

Mikasa groaned.

 

“Well, look who it is,” Reiner sneered.

 

“Let me go,” Mikasa demanded.

 

Annie cackled. “Really, that’s what the great Mikasa Ackerman has? A little begging?”

 

“If I find out anything happened to Eren, I swear to you, I’ll slice you up,” she threatened.

 

“And how’re planning on finding anything out? No one knows where you are,” Bertholdt added.

 

Mikasa realized that it was already after dark. Eren and Armin were alone in the palace. _Please,_ she thought, _don’t forget to keep fighting._

 

***

 

Eren slowly opened the door to the dungeon. It was about ten at night and he saw the original three prisoners asleep. He motioned to the new guards to stay quiet. He walked over to Levi’s cell and looked in. The man was laying on the floor, facing the wall. Eren cleared his throat. Levi’s ears twitched.

 

“Eren?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What do you want?” Levi said, flatly.

 

“I was talking with Armin.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And?”

 

“And something he said’s been bothering me.”

 

Levi sat up, dangling his hands over his knees. “And what’s that?”

 

“He said that you might not be the mastermind behind this,” he sighed, moving up to the bars. “But that doesn’t mean I forgive you for this,” he quickly added.

 

“And if I’m not?”

 

“Levi, listen to me. I just want the truth. I’m fucking tired of the lies and deception. I just want to know what’s going on with you. I need to know who you are.”

 

Levi stood up and moved to the bars and rested his hand on Eren’s. Eren’s hand twitched away and he crossed his arms. Levi sighed.

 

“I’m sorry, Eren. I really am.”

 

“I-I know you are, I just – I can’t forgive you right now. I came here to hear the truth from you. That’s all. Give me that first and then we’ll talk apologies.”

 

Levi hadn’t seen this side of Eren before. He was hostile and fiery. _Don’t get turned on._

 

“The first thing you need to know is that Erwin Smith was the first man I ever loved.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be working on Chapter 9! Comments and kudos always appreciated ^_^
> 
> <3


	9. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren learns of the relationship between Levi and Erwin. The truth behind the assassination comes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write and came with a surge of inspiration ^_^
> 
> TW: abuse, blood, asshole-y stuff, drug use, referenced rape

_Levi sat on the stoop of the Trost Tavern. He had just settled in a hovel in Shiganshina City, far from home and as far as he could get from the hell he had just escaped. He watched as lifelong citizens strolled along the road on a chilly October day, speaking in accents that he had not yet grown accustomed to. He looked to the ground and saw his reflection in a puddle from the recent shower. The Levi he saw was tired. He was thin and he was worn. The cuts on his face and hands were beginning to heal after a couple of weeks. He let out a sigh._

_“Someone doesn’t sound to good,” said an unfamiliar, deep voice. Levi looked up and saw a tall, statuesque, blond man looking down at him._

_“Who’re you?” Levi shot at the stranger_

_The man extended his hand. “Erwin. Let me get you a drink.”_

_His voice was oddly calming. He oozed trustworthiness. Levi shook off his hand and stood up by himself. “Fine.”_

_“Aren’t you going to tell me your name?”_

_“Maybe,” Levi retorted, walking into the tavern. Erwin smirked._

_The tavern was virtually empty. A couple of drunks were scattered around the room, passed out. Levi walked to the first table and sat down._

_“No, no,” Erwin said, motioning to the booth in the back of the tavern._

_“Why?”_

_“I always sit there. And since you’re my guest, we’ll sit where I sit.”_

_Levi shrugged. “Whatever.”_

 

_Erwin motioned to the server. “Two glasses of scotch. Neat.”_

_Levi stopped him. “None for me. Tea is fine.”_

_Erwin gave him a look. “Tea?”_

_“Yeah, I’d prefer not to drink.”_

_“Suit yourself.”_

***

 

“How long ago was that?” Eren asked.

 

“Seven years ago,” he answered, without hesitation.

 

The two sat in silence for a moment. Eren looked at Levi whose eyes were glued to the ground. He could tell this was hard for him to talk about.

 

“Hey,” Eren whispered.

 

Levi looked up to Eren extending his hand through the bars. Levi took the invitation and gripped it.

 

“You wanna keep going?”

 

Levi nodded.

 

“We’ll fast forward a little bit.”

 

***

 

_“Are you serious? You took down an entire human trafficking ring by yourself?” Erwin asked, awestruck._

_“You know, it’s nothing. Did a little surveillance, a little lying, a little sex with the right people, and it was cake,” Levi shrugged. He watched Erwin take a swig of beer, his strong jaw and muscular frame gliding through the air. Levi felt his chest flutter._

_“What’re you smiling about?”_

_Levi turned red, “Nothing.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yeah, it’s just no one’s ever cared enough to listen to my life story,” he chuckled, shaking off the butterflies._ Christ, that was close, _he thought, burying his face in his tea._

_“So, Erwin,” Levi began, “we’ve known each other for three months and you still haven’t told me what it is you do.”_

_Levi saw Erwin smirk as he took another drink. “You’ll find out soon enough, Levi. But first, I have a little something for you.”_

***

 

“What’d he give you?” Eren prodded.

 

“Hang on and I’ll get there, you damn brat.”

 

“Sorry, sorry. But you fell in love with him in three months?”

 

“Eren, back then, if anyone started to care enough about me, I was theirs. I was head over heels for him. He was good-looking, and he _cared_. Eren, he cared about me. I mean, no one cared about me for years before him. And he just…took me in,” Levi quickly wiped his eyes. His voice started to crack.

 

“But what happened?”

 

***

 

_“Holy shit, you’re giving me this apartment?”_

 

_Erwin smiled widely. “Of course,” he said. “You need a place to live. Better than that dump you had before.”_

_“Hey, that dump was still home,” Levi jabbed._

_“Okay, then. I don’t_ have _to give this to you, you know.”_

_“Shut the fuck up, asshole, and give me the keys.”_

_Erwin chuckled and tossed him the keys to the apartment. “What’s the rent?” Levi asked._

_“Let’s just say this is a gift.”_

_“I can’t just accept this, Erwin. You’ve given me so much. Clothes, money, food, and now a new place? I can’t take this.”_

_“Sure you can.”_

_Levi paused and sat on the bed. He looked out of the second story window at the street below. He felt the bed creak and Erwin’s scent got stronger as he got closer._

_“Nice view, huh?”_

_“Uh, yeah, I-I guess,” Levi stuttered. His heart started to race. He felt Erwin getting closer to him. “Er-Erwin?”_

_Levi felt a prick in his thigh. He felt his muscles relax and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as everything went dark._

 

***

 

“I woke up about six hours later and he gave me this brand,” Levi said, indicating his chest. “Well, technically is was that doctor, but he made it happen.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Erwin always gets what he wants. He wanted me in the Wings of Freedom and he got it.”

 

“Is that when you stopped loving him?”

 

“Should’ve been.”

 

“What happened?”

 

Levi stood up and paced his cell. Eren felt a knot in his stomach. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know where this was going. But it was Levi. This strong man who calmed him out of a panic attack. Who he felt comfortable enough with to fall asleep next to. The man who just showed up out of the blue and made him feel unlike anything before. And, most importantly, a man that Armin had some faith in. He turned to the guards.

 

“Let me into his cell.”

 

“But, your Majes – ”

 

“Let me in to this fucking cell, _now_.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

The two guards unlocked the bars with their dual keys and Eren slipped in. As the guards began to slide the door shut, Eren spoke.

 

“Don’t shut the cell.”

 

“But, sir. The prisoner – ”

 

“This prisoner is mine and I will do as I see fit with him. Leave it open. If he runs, you’ll apprehend him before he gets to the door, right?”

 

The two guards exchanged a look. “Yes, your Majesty.”

 

“Good. Now step away while I speak with him.” They obliged.

 

Eren turned to Levi who quickly wrapped his arms around him. He stiffened. “Levi, I came in here so you’d be more comfortable talking about this. I’m not really planning on getting affectionate with my parents’ murderer.”

 

Levi continued to hold Eren for a few moments until Eren realized that Levi was sobbing into his chest.

 

“Hey, hey,” Eren whispered. “It’s going to be alright.”

 

Levi pulled away from Eren and started pacing again.

 

“I loved him,” he breathed. “I was in love with him. I was such an idiot!” He kicked a stool across the cell. It smashed into the wall and clattered to the floor.

 

“Calm down. What happened?”

 

“We failed our first mission. I was appointed to the Wings of Freedom Special Operations Squad. We were supposed to do a raid and it got botched because another gang was there.”

 

“So you failed a mission. What’s the big deal?”

 

“I told you,” Levi took a deep breath. “Erwin always gets what he wants.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He found the opportunity to take something he wanted as punishment.”

 

“Which was?”

 

“Me.”

 

“He raped you?”

 

Levi jerked his head away. “Over the past seven years, Erwin has fucked me, branded me, abused me, and tortured me to keep me in check. Eren, I’m pretty much a shell of a human being. All these cuts? A third are probably Erwin-inflicted and two-thirds are my own handiwork. I can’t deal with this crap. I can’t do it anymore. I just – I was obedient for so long. But then I had to kill for him. I wasn’t ready to do that. I wouldn’t _ever_ be ready to do that. I’d killed men before. Bad men. I killed to stay alive. But to kill for a cause? To assassinate the heads of a monarchy?” Levi shook his head. “That night as we left the grounds of this palace I felt remorse for the first time in my entire life. I felt like shit. I had to cut myself quickly while we were running to get the thoughts out. But no, that wasn’t enough. I had to drug myself to sleep and even after that I wandered my way back to the palace. And then I found you – ” Levi sat down on the floor and laid back, looking at the ceiling. “I met this kid. The new king. And I didn’t know what to do. I fucking killed your parents. I-I should want to get the fuck out of the country. But,” he sat up, “but something about you made me want to stay. I look at you, Eren, and I feel so much better. I know I have no reason to, but I just know that, eventually, everything’ll be okay. I don’t know what it is. Your electric green eyes, your smile, I don’t know. But remorse is the reason I came back here and you’re the reason I stayed.

 

I’m so sorry that I lied to you. I really am. And I know that you have no reason to forgive me. But, I need you to know that I didn’t want to do this. I did what Erwin said because I had no choice. And now, one of your guards – Jean, I think – thinks that Erwin’s working with someone and – ”

 

Eren pulled Levi up to his feet and planted a kiss on his lips.

 

“I just have one question,” Eren whispered, forehead resting against Levi’s.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“How do I know that I can believe what you’re telling me?”

 

Levi kissed Eren again.

 

“I’ve lost everything,” Levi breathed, “and the only thing I want back is you.”

 

***

 

Mikasa grunted as she took another punch from Annie. Her nose was bleeding and her lip split, oozing blood.

 

“Look at what the legendary Mikasa Ackerman has become,” Annie sneered. “A sniveling little pile of shit!” She slapped her square across the face, her handprint quickly swelling on Mikasa’s cheek.

 

“What…the hell…do you want with me?”

 

“It’s not what _we_ want,” Reiner began. “We’re acting on behalf of a higher power.”

 

“Who’re you working for, besides this Erwin?” Mikasa panted.

 

“Why should we tell you?” Annie snapped, cleaning the blood off of her hands.

 

Mikasa surveyed her surroundings. She was tied to the trunk of a tree, ropes binding her ankles and wrists together. They were deep within the woods, the trees barely a couple feet apart from each other. It was almost impossible to tell what time of day it was. She glanced to her pocket and remembered her knife.

 

“Looking for this?” Bertholdt teased.

 

Mikasa growled at him and shifted her ankles. _If I can get my feet out, that’d be a huge advantage._

Annie took the knife from Bertholdt and came face-to-face with Mikasa.

 

“What’re you doing, Annie?” Reiner warned.

 

“Just having a little fun,” she replied, running the blade up Mikasa’s torso. “I want to show my former trainer what skills she passed up by kicking me out of the trainee group.”

 

_Kicked out…?_ Mikasa thought. “Wait a minute. You’re the one who kept starting all those fights in training. You were the most incorrigible piece of shit I’ve had the pleasure of throwing out of my corps,” she spat.

 

“You have some balls, bitch,” Annie hissed. “Insulting someone who can take your life in an instant right here.”

 

“You won’t do it. You need me alive.”

 

“What’s to make you say that? No one’d find your corpse out here.”

 

“Pixis and Erwin need me alive.”

 

“Pixis?” Reiner choked.

 

“I’m not an idiot, unlike you,” Mikasa shot, coldly. “Pixis arranged all this. They’re about to try and take out Eren and you needed me out of the way for the time being. Then Erwin and Pixis are going to do their best to ‘recruit’ me to work for them.”

 

“Well, listen to this. Looks like she’s got it all figured out,” Annie cackled. “Too bad, you’re wrong about the last part. Once we have the word that the takeover was successful, I’m going to slice you up.”

 

Mikasa kept her face emotionless. Annie took the blade and pressed it to Mikasa’s cheek. “But in the meanwhile…” Annie applied a little more pressure and broke the skin. A small stream of crimson began to run down Mikasa’s face. “I’m going to play around with you. Reiner, Bertl,” she said, “why don’t you scout the area and I’ll keep little Ackerman some company.”

 

“Whatever,” Reiner complied. “She better be alive when we get back.”

 

“She’ll be alive alright. She’ll wish she was dead, but you can bet your ass she’ll still be alive.”

 

Annie watched as her partners walked away in opposite directions. She turned on her heels as a devilish smile curled up on her lips. Mikasa trained her eyes directly on Annie and kept a straight, emotionless face. Annie took the knife and ran it straight down Mikasa’s torso, slicing a shallow cut almost all the way down. Drops of blood could be seen staining her shirt. Annie’s eyes widened at the sight of blood.

 

Mikasa continued to loosen the knot binding her ankles together as Annie quickly began an uppercut with the knife blade. She was aiming for her inner thigh, when Mikasa deftly swung her tied wrists down and made contact with the knife before it hit her skin and sliced the ropes off. In the moment it took Annie to gasp, Mikasa had her in a choke hold and was wrenching the knife from her grasp.

 

“R-Reiner! Bert – !”

 

In one motion, Mikasa slit Annie’s throat and dropped her bloodstained body onto the muddy ground. She quickly severed her remaining bindings and sprinted into the darkness of the woods.

 

***

 

Armin paced the throne room in the Jaeger palace in warm candlelight. It had been hours since he had last seen Eren and he was beginning to worry. Without Mikasa or Eren with him, Armin was alone. He thought back to the conversation earlier that day on the roof and how heartbroken Eren was.

 

_He definitely has feelings for Levi_.

 

He smirked at the notion. His best friend falling for this mysterious and troubled man. Armin thought about his theory regarding Levi’s guilt. _Levi was too bent on explaining himself to Eren. And to not act against the crown while he was in the palace? He had to have felt at least some sense of guilt about it. There’s definitely something larger at play here._ He heard the door open. “Ere – oh! General Pixis!”

 

“Hello, Mr. Arlert.”

 

“What brings you here at this time of night, sir?”

 

“Oh, nothing. Just giving a good friend of mine a tour of the palace. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

 

“I’m waiting for Eren to come back from the dungeons. He was paying a visit to the prisoners. Have you heard from Mikasa?”

 

Pixis turned away and began moving to the door. “Unfortunately, I have not. I do expect she’s doing well, however. She’s a strong girl.” He picked at his fingernails. “Well, I must go. I’m expecting a guest here tonight who wishes to tour the palace.”

 

“At this hour?” Armin asked, cautiously.

 

“Why, yes.”

 

“May I ask who?”

 

“That’s none of your business, Mr. Arlert.”

 

“Actually,” Armin began, “it is my business. As King Eren’s advisor, everything is considered need to know if it has to do with the King. And seeing as there will be a visitor in the palace, I’m entitled to this knowledge. Now, I’ll ask you again, _General_. Who’s coming into the palace tonight?”

 

Pixis turned slowly on his heels. Tapping his fingers together, he approached Armin. As he strode he said, “The protection of the King is the responsibility of the military and the royal guard. Since I’m the general and the royal guard is under my command, I have no need to tell you. And,” he continued, inches away from Armin, peering down from above, “it would do you well to not meddle in my affairs. You may be bright, Armin Arlert, but I will not tolerate any cunning or trickery to reveal any intentions I may or may not have.”

 

Armin stood as tall as he could and coolly crossed his arms. “You know, people who use intimidation tend to have something to hide – ”

 

Pixis struck Armin across the face with the back of his hand. He hit the ground hard and was knocked out instantly.

 

***

 

Eren and Levi sat in his cell, hands entwined, in silence. Levi rested his head on Eren’s shoulder as he slept. Eren watched his chest rise and fall. _Telling me what happened must’ve taken a lot out of him._ He gently kissed his head.

 

“Hey, Levi?” Eren whispered.

 

“Mm?”

 

“Is Erwin going to come after you?”

 

“Probably.”

 

“Which means he’ll come here.”

 

Levi opened his eyes and sat up. “You’re right.”

 

“We should talk with Armin. He’s really good at strategizing and thinking in general. Loads better than I am.”

 

“Armin’s good at _thinking_?” Levi asked, chuckling.

 

“He’s just really smart. Shut up!”

 

“Where is he?”

 

“Probably upstairs. Let’s go.”

 

The pair left the dungeons and climbed the stairs.

 

“Hey, Eren?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Before we go up there, I need you to promise me something.”

 

“What is it? We have to keep moving though.”

 

“You have to trust me no matter what, okay? It may get ugly up there, but you have to trust me.”

 

Eren hesistated for a moment, stopping at the top step, just outside the throne room.

 

Levi continued, “I know I’m asking a lot and you have no reason to trust me which I understand completely. But please. I don’t want Erwin hurting you, so you have to trust that everything I do is to protect you.”

 

“I can protect myself.”

 

Levi sighed and took Eren’s hands. “I’m not letting you get hurt again.” He cupped Eren’s chin and placed a light kiss on his lips. Eren reached up and took Levi’s head in his hands and pulled him in closer, drinking him in. When they finally separated, Eren spoke. “Let’s go.”

 

Eren pushed the door open to the candlelit throne room, his attention immediately drawn to the dark mass on the floor in the center of the room. He felt his heart drop. “Armin…” he whispered in horror. He tore away from Levi and sprinted to the body. “ _Armin!_ ” Eren knelt down and pressed his ears to his chest and heard his heart beating. “Oh, thank god,” he breathed. “Armin. Armin, can you hear me?” He tapped his cheek. “Armin?”

 

“E-Eren?” he weakly replied.

 

“Armin! What happened? Are you okay?”

 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, pushing himself up. “Ow, my head.”

 

“What the hell happened?”

 

“General Pixis. He’s got something to do with this. I know it.”

 

“Wait,” Levi interjected, “you think the General and Erwin are working together? That’s ridiculous.”

 

“Is it?” Pixis called out from the opposite side of the room. “But it could easily be false, too, am I right, Levi? Or should I call you captain or lance corporal? I’ve heard both used.”

 

“Pixis, what the fuck are you doing?” Eren seethed.

 

“I’m doing what’s right for this country! Your father was weak. I built up one of the strongest militaries of the modern era and he didn’t want to use it! He had the chance to take land and expand his territory tenfold! But, no. He wanted to stay internal, while the rest of the imperial world goes on planting flags everywhere! My vision is for the true preservation of Shiganshina and there’s nothing you can do to stop me now.”

 

“You have to get through us!” Eren hissed.

 

“No, no,” Pixis retorted. “I only have to get through you. Once you’re out of the way – ”

 

“The country will be ours for the taking,” Erwin declared, emerging from the shadows. “Levi will be painted as the cruel assassin who took down the king, queen, and prince, and General Pixis will be the heroic military hero who turned a mourning kingdom into a prosperous empire.”

 

“And what’s in it for you, Erwin? What’re you getting out of this?” Levi shot.

 

“Levi, Levi, Levi. Long time no see. You know, you could get a part of this, too. We don’t _have_ to make you the bad guy. The media is so easily twisted that these people will believe anything in print.”

 

Erwin walked over to Eren and picked him up by his collar, dragging him over to Levi. He haphazardly tossed him to the ground with such force that he landed on all fours. He landed a kick right in his chest. Eren collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

 

“Wh-What the f-fuck…”

 

Erwin dragged him over to the throne.

 

“Pixis.” The general tossed his handcuffs over to Erwin. The commander skillfully cuffed Eren to the throne, bolted to the floor. “Sit up.” Eren remained on the ground. “ _Sit up,_ ” Erwin hissed.

 

“Well, what’s it going to be, Levi? Are you going to save this pathetic ‘king’? Or are you going to side with me? The man who saved you from rotting away in the gutter of this city?”

 

Levi looked at Erwin and back to Eren, whose electric green eyes were bright with the fire to fight. Levi mouthed “Trust me” before landing a roundhouse kick right across Eren's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the truth comes out! Chapter 10 is in progress! :)


	10. Breakaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The face-off continues and choices must be made - what does the future of the Wings of Freedom look like? How about the Special Operations Squad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long to update .___. So much stuff going on, not to mention an immense writer's block Dx I hope you enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> TW: Rape, referenced sexual abuse, blood

WHAM.

 

_He said to trust him_.

 

WHAM.

 

He doubled over as a knee connected with his ribcage.

 

_Breathe. Just breathe._ Each breath came with a jolt of pain.

 

 

_I’m going to die here._

 

He felt his body begin to go numb as blood leaked from almost every orifice.

 

“L-Levi,” Eren gasped.

 

“Shut up, you little shit,” Erwin hissed.

 

Eren looked up at Levi standing over him. The man reached down and gripped the collar of his shirt and yanked him up. His fist crashed into his abdomen and he jolted forward, chin resting on Levi’s shoulder. He coughed as he tried to catch his breath. Blood spattered out of his mouth. Between his panting, he heard Levi whisper, “I’m so sorry. It’ll be over soon.”

 

Levi threw him to the ground.

 

“That’s the Levi I’ve been waiting for,” Erwin said, resting his hand on Levi’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah,” Levi said, half-heartedly.

 

“Are you going to finish him off?” Pixis called, keeping Armin restrained.

 

“I’m not finishing anyone else off.”

 

Erwin scoffed. “No matter, I can do it myself.”

 

“Of course you can,” Levi sneered. “As long as he’s already beaten to a pulp.” Levi glanced over at Eren. He felt a twinge in his stomach at the sight of the boy bleeding, cut, and broken. It took all of his strength not to help him.

 

“What’d you say to me?”

 

“Nothing, forget it.”

 

“I’m pretty sure he said you were weak,” Pixis jeered.

 

“Shut up, old man!” Levi seethed.

 

“Is that what you said, Levi? Do you think I’m weak?”

 

Levi stood his ground against Erwin.

 

“L-Levi, don’t,” Eren gasped.

 

Erwin landed a punch across Eren’s face.

 

“Stop it, Erwin!” Levi demanded, instinctively.

 

“You’re protecting him now? Well,” Erwin continued, “this is _definitely_ getting more and more interesting. Looks like being away from me’s made you less… _obedient._ I think it’s time you’re taught a lesson.” He slapped Levi across the face. “And this time,” his voice turned to a growl, “everyone’s going to watch.”

 

“Erwin, don’t. Please,” he whispered.   


“It’ll be over soon. Besides, I know you enjoy it.”

 

Erwin ripped Levi’s shirt straight down the middle, exposing his brand and scarred chest. Levi turned to get away, but Erwin snatched his wrist and yanked him back. Levi felt his wrist being crushed in Erwin’s grasp. A fist found its way into Levi’s gut and he doubled over, collapsing to the ground. Erwin gripped Levi’s waist and pinned him down. He tore off Levi’s pants and unbuckled his own.

 

“Erwin, no. Stop it, please! You don’t have to do this!”

 

“Apparently, I do, so shut the fuck up.”

Eren struggled against his handcuffs. _No, Levi…_. He watched as Levi feebly attempted to fight off Erwin.

 

“L-Levi! Erwin, st-stop!”

 

Erwin ignored him as he attempted to push into Levi.

 

“Come on,” he grunted. “Loosen up, you little slut.”

 

Erwin forced his head into Levi’s ass as he firmly held both of Levi’s wrists behind his back. Completely incapacitated, Levi surrendered to Erwin. He faced Eren as tears began to stream down their faces.

 

“Levi. _NO!_ ” Eren screamed. “You fucking asshole! Stop it! He doesn’t want you anymore so get the fuck off him!” He yanked against his bindings and felt the metal cuffs dig into his wrists. Erwin continued working at Levi. “Will you fucking listen to me?! _Stop it!_ Stop it…stop it…no…” Eren collapsed into a heap of tears. “I’m so sorry…” he whispered.

 

“ _Eren!_ ”

 

Eren’s head whipped up at the familiar voice. Mikasa charged into the throne room with Marco and Jean at her side.

 

“Mikasa!”

 

“ _No!_ ” Pixis hissed.

 

“Jean! Marco! Take Pixis to the dungeons!”

 

The two tackled the general to the ground, as he released Armin from his grasp. Armin scurried to Eren and unlocked his handcuffs as Mikasa charged at Erwin, her boot shoving him off of Levi.

 

“If it isn’t the great Mikasa Acker – ”

 

Her boot connected with his face, causing a sickening crack to echo throughout the room.

 

“You little bitch,” he hissed, rising to his feet. Blood poured from his nose and his now-broken jaw was unnaturally out of place. Erwin kept his eyes trained on Mikasa as he kicked Levi across his face, knocking him out.

 

“Levi!” Eren bellowed.

 

Erwin gripped Eren by his throat before smashing his head against the boy’s, rendering him unconscious as well.

 

Mikasa charged at Erwin full force, blade drawn. He snagged her wrist and twisted her to the ground.

 

“I thought you’d be more of a challenge, girl.”

 

Erwin wrenched her knife from her hand and pressed it to her throat.

 

“Now, how many times can I run this knife across your throat before it starts slicing you? Should I find out? Or should I wait until the little king wakes up so that he can watch his beloved sister get gutted in front of his eyes? I mean, it’s a shame that he couldn’t watch as I made Levi kill your parents, but that’s the price of efficiency, isn’t it?”

 

Mikasa felt the knife dig into the side of her neck. Just as Erwin began to drag it across, she heard him grunt as she was let go.

 

“Armin?”

 

“You okay?” Armin asked, panting.

 

“Yeah, I owe you one.”

 

Erwin stood up and faced the two.

 

“Well, Ackerman I can take seriously. But the little blond shrimp?” He chuckled to himself. “But, I think it’s time that I took my leave.”

 

“You think you’re getting out of here alive?” Armin choked in disbelief.

 

“My dear boy,” he heard Pixis sneer behind him, “he’ll be leaving with me, of course.”

 

Mikasa wheeled around as the general shoved Armin to the side and swept her to the ground.  They’d never seen the sixty-year-old run so quickly as he and Erwin darted out of the throne room and out of the palace into the early morning.

 

***

 

_My head…_

Eren opened his eyes.

 

_What time is it…?_

He looked down at himself. He was bandaged virtually everywhere. He tried to sit up as a jolt of pain seared through him, from his waist up to his neck. The dressings on his wrists were blood-soaked and desperately needed changing. He rested himself on his elbows as the pain slowly subsided. He cautiously turned his sore neck to the window to see that the sun was still out and it was about midday.

 

“How’re you feeling?”

 

Eren whipped his head back around at Armin’s voice. “Fuck!” he grunted as pain radiated throughout his neck and shoulders.

 

“That bad, huh?”

 

Eren rested back down on the bed. “I feel amazing. Brand new.”

 

He closed his eyes and saw Levi’s tearstained face as Erwin forced himself on him. He opened his eyes again.

 

“I can’t unsee it either,” Armin sighed.

 

“Can’t unsee what?”

 

“Erwin and Levi. And what Levi did to you.”

 

“Levi did what he did to protect me. Right before he started, he told me to trust him.”

 

“And you did?”

 

“Look at where it got me. I’m alive. If he refused to beat the shit out of me, Erwin would’ve done it and I probably wouldn’t’ve made it.”

 

Armin thought for a second. “I guess you’re right. God knows what Erwin could’ve done to you.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

They fell silent. A breeze blew in from the window, wafting in a faint vanilla scent.

 

“Where’s Levi?” Eren asked, suddenly urgent.

 

“He’s down the hall. But you need to rest before you move. You have a couple of broken ribs and some of your organs are swollen. Your neck and face are pretty banged up, too.”

 

“Is he okay?”

 

Armin shifted. “According to Doctor Hanji – ”

 

“Who’s that?”

 

“Hanji? She’s a doctor in town. She came with one of Levi’s squadmates last night a little after Erwin and Pixis escaped.”

 

“They escaped?”

 

“Yeah. Mikasa’ll fill you in.”

 

“Okay. What’d this doctor say?”

 

“Well,” he began, “Erwin kicked him pretty hard in the head and knocked him out.”

 

“Yeah, that I remember.”

 

“He hasn’t woken up yet.”

 

“What?”

 

“Well in all fairness, you _just_ woke up.”

 

Eren struggled to swing his legs over the bed and attempted to stand up. “I’m going to see him.”

 

“Eren, you can’t. You’ll hurt yourself.”

 

“Armin,” he retorted, “I’m going down the hall whether you want me to or not and it’d be a hell of a lot easier if you helped me.”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. C’mere.”

 

Eren swung his arm around Armin’s neck and limped out of the room.

 

“You really like him, don’t you?” Armin whispered.

 

Eren turned pink and looked at Armin.

 

He took a deep breath. “Yeah. I really do, Armin.”

 

Armin smiled. “It’s about time you told me.”

 

“It’s not weird that I like another guy?”

 

“Of course not. Eren, you’re my best friend. Practically a brother to me. As long as you’re happy, I’ll have your back.”

 

“You’re really the best, Armin.” Eren stopped and gave him a hug.

 

Armin returned it saying, “You know, I can totally cripple you if I squeeze any harder.”

 

“You better not,” Eren warned, a laugh breaking his serious tone. The two continued on to the end of the hall and stopped in front of Levi’s door.

 

Eren knocked on the door, making it swing open.

 

“I’m good from here,” he whispered to Armin.

 

“You sure?”

 

Eren nodded. “Thanks.”

 

Armin smiled back and pulled the door over.

 

Eren limped into the silent bedroom. The crimson walls shone bright, reflecting the two o’clock sun. The golden script with his family motto gleamed in the light. _For the preservation of Shiganshina,_ he thought to himself. His eyes traveled down the wall to the motionless body on the bed. He was still breathing, but very lightly. His inhale stopped sharply, indicating he had a broken rib. Eren walked over to the side of the bed and sat on the edge of the bed. He slid his hand along the bed and found Levi’s fingers. He looked over and surveyed them. They were bruised and his knuckles swollen. Turning his hand over in his, Eren saw small cuts on his palm from clenching his fists while Erwin dominated him. He felt his stomach churn watching another man, especially Erwin, make Levi so helpless and take him so carelessly. Eren lightly squeezed Levi’s hand.

 

Levi shifted under the blanket and let out a light groan.

 

“Levi?”

 

His eyes fluttered open. “I’m so sorry.” 

 

A tear rolled down Eren’s face.

 

“Oh, don’t start crying, you idiot. I’m fine.”

 

Eren burst into a smile and threw his arms around Levi and squeezed him tight.

 

“OW, YOU DUMBASS THAT FUCKING HURTS.”

 

“Oh, sorry!”

 

“You better be!” Levi hissed. “Son of a bitch! Two broken ribs, you little brat. Christ.”

 

“I – sorry, I’m sorry,” Eren stuttered, backing away from him.

 

“Where do you think you're going?”

 

“Back to my room?”

 

“No you’re not,” he whispered, taking Eren’s hand. He pulled him in close and ran his hand along his chin and neck.

 

“L-Levi…?”

 

“I want to kiss lips that I love – ”

 

Eren jerked back. “Love?”

 

Levi’s eyes widened. “I-I, um – ”

 

***

 

Hanji and Oluo sat on he stools in the dungeon. Petra, Eld, and Gunther slumped against the walls of their respective cells. Jean and Marco stood guard at the door.

 

“So, how’re my favorite operatives?”

 

Petra shot a look at the two of them. “You know, a little cramped and a little betrayed. Not really the best of days, doc.”

 

“You guys really don’t understand him, do you?”

 

Eld snorted, “What’s the point? He was playing us the entire time.”

 

“Playing us?” Oluo interjected. “You didn’t see what I saw up there. There’s no way he just chose to act against the Wings of Freedom. He’s still our captain and I’m still fucking loyal to him.”

 

“Seriously, Oluo?” Petra snapped. “You’re still loyal to that son of a bitch? He’s the reason we’re trapped in here. If he’d just stuck with the plan – ”

 

“Petra! Don’t you get it? The man was broken down to nothing. _Nothing_. I could tell after the assassination that something was different – ”

 

“And you, oh wise one, chose not to say anything?” Gunther added.

 

“Well, no – ”

 

“Exactly, because you’re full of crap,” Eld spat.

 

“I didn't want to be wrong!” Oluo shouted. “What the hell’m I supposed to do? Just go up to him and say ‘Hey, what’s wrong? Wanna talk about it?’ I don’t think that works well with someone like him.”

 

“Whatever, Oluo. You were going to go to Erwin once he disappeared,” Petra seethed.

 

“For the last fucking time, Petra, I wasn’t going to sell him out!”

 

“Sure.”

 

Marco and Jean shifted uncomfortably at the door. Hanji stood up and spoke.

 

“The five of you are going to shut the hell up and listen to me right now. The fact of the matter is Levi went against _Erwin_. Not you. Erwin’s the one who’s been fucking around with him. So now, what are you going to do? Help your friend or side with the sadistic bastard who’s been destroying him day after day over the last seven years? Now fuck all of you and your stupid egos and be _people_ for Christ’s sake. I’m going to check on Levi and see if I can play around with his unconscious body while you two figure out what the hell you’re going to do next.”

 

Hanji left the dungeons slamming the door behind her.

 

***

 

Armin and Mikasa ate mashed potatoes out of a bowl in the kitchen.

 

“So what the hell happened to you?” Armin asked.

 

“Pixis. I knew that asshole was out to get me from the start. He sent me on a decoy mission out in the country. I was ambushed. Made it out, obviously, but it was really annoying.”

 

“You got cut up pretty bad.”

 

“Yeah, it’s fine though. How’s Eren? I didn’t get to see him after I went to take a bath.”

 

“He’s awake.”

 

Mikasa’s eyes widened. “What?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’m going to see him – ”

 

“I’d wait,” Armin cut her off. He shoved a spoonful of creamy goodness into his mouth.

 

“Why?”

 

“I took him in to see Levi.”

 

Mikasa groaned and rolled her eyes. “Why, Armin?”

 

“Because I swear Eren’s in love with him.”

 

“No he’s not.”

 

“You haven’t you seen the way he talks about him or looks at him? God, it’s like someone cast a friggin’ spell on him.”

 

“I’m going up there.”

 

***

 

Levi and Eren sat in silence staring at each other.

 

“Wh-What did you say?” Eren stuttered.

 

Levi’s eyes remained widened. “Nothing. I just want to kiss you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I like the way you taste.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Shut the fuck up and kiss me,” he hissed, gripping Eren’s forearm and yanking him down, planting a fierce kiss on him. Eren melted into Levi’s kiss and cupped his face in his hands. He poked his tongue into Levi’s mouth as Levi tried to sit up. Eren could hear the grunts of pain as the man moved.

 

“You don’t have to,” Eren whispered.

 

“Shh…”

 

“But it hurts – ”

 

“Kissing you makes it worth it,” he breathed, pulling Eren back into him.

 

Unbeknownst to the pair, Mikasa stood in the doorway as they got lost in each other. Hanji poked her head over Mikasa’s shoulder.

 

“Oh, my,” she whispered.

 

“Let’s come back in the morning,” Mikasa suggested as they backed away, slowly pulling the door closed.

 

Levi laid back down.

 

“Yeah, that hurt a lot.”

 

Eren chuckled. “I told you it would.”

 

“Shut up and come next to me.”

 

Eren obliged and snuggled just under the nook of Levi’s arm. He took a deep breath and relished in the familiar scent of vanilla.

 

“I’m sorry for beating the crap out of you.”

 

“I know you did it to protect me.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The chilly evening breeze blew in through the open window. Levi felt Eren shiver and cling closer to him. He smiled.

 

“I hope you know,” Levi started, “that if you weren’t in so much pain right now, we’d be having sex.”

 

Eren giggled. “I’m pretty sure you’re in too much pain to do that, too.”

 

“Shut up, you idiot.”

 

“Did you know that Erwin and Pixis were working together?”

 

The sound of Erwin’s name made Levi’s stomach churn.

 

“No. I genuinely thought I was doing what Erwin wanted and only him. If I knew that he was working with someone on the inside, things might’ve been different.”

 

Eren paused. “Where are you from, anyway? We talked about it for a little bit when I listened to your piano-playing, but you never gave me details.”

 

“Well,” Levi explained, “I came from a country to the west of yours. Very prosperous, but extremely corrupt. If you were rich, like we were, you had it good. I was kidnapped when I was still a kid, so I don’t really remember too much. My first language was French, but I learned English from my abductors. And since I was still young, I learned it pretty quickly. When I was twelve, I remember them selling me to this guy who would touch me at night. It went from being at night to all the time. Then he just kept me in this basement. They ended up killing the guy because he couldn’t pay his debt to them. I just kept getting sold and when I wasn’t sold, the ring would take turns with me. That’s where the scars came from.” Levi let out a deep sigh. “Do we really have to talk about this now?”

 

Eren could tell that Levi was exhausted just by how he was speaking. “Nope,” Eren said, running his hand through Levi’s hair. “I honestly didn’t expect you to tell me that much.”

 

“Well, you’re different. I trust you.”

 

“And I trust you.”

 

“You’ll probably regret that one day.”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I trusted you today and we’re both alive.”

 

“I guess,” Levi said, turning away.

 

“You guess? You saved my life and the lives of Armin and Mikasa.”

 

“At what cost? You saw what Erwin did, I’m sure.”

 

Eren jerked Levi’s head back in his direction. “Listen to me. I won’t ever let that man hurt you again. I swear to you.”

 

“Look at you, getting all fiery.”

 

“When someone hurts the people I love – ”

 

“What?”

 

Eren turned bright pink. “N-Nothing! Let’s go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”

 

A smirk flashed across Levi’s face. “Whatever you say.”

 

Eren nuzzled into Levi’s side and began to doze off. Just before he faded into sleep, he heard a faint whisper from Levi.

 

“I love you, Eren Jaeger.”

 

With his last conscious breath, Eren said, “I love you, too…” before falling asleep in Levi’s arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS STILL AN ERERI FIC XD I'll be working on Chapter 11 when I can! Not sure when I'll post, but hopefully it'll be soon! :D Thanks so much for continuing to read ^_^


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